How to build an African city? with sociologist Benjamin Bradlow

What makes a city thrive in the Global South? Why do some cities build stronger connections between their citizens, social movements, and governments while others remain fragmented? Can the lessons from São Paulo help South Africa’s struggling urban centres? And what can a sociologist teach us about the future of African cities as urbanization accelerates?

In this episode of Our Long Walk, Johan Fourie and Jonathan Schoots speak with Benjamin Bradlow, assistant professor of sociology and international affairs at Princeton University. Ben’s work explores the complex relationships between urban governance, inequality, and democracy, with a comparative focus on São Paulo and Johannesburg. His latest book, Urban Power: Democracy and Inequality in São Paulo and Johannesburg, offers a powerful lens on how cities can transform – or fail to.

You can find the Suno-generated song inspired by Benjamin's work here, as well as the playlist of the songs featured on other episodes. Subscribe to Johan's newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This podcast is produced with the help of Voice Note Productions. Our producer is Vasti Calitz with editing done by Andri Burnett. Kelsey Lemon provided helpful research assistance.