Review article

The national urban housing design practices in Africa show both ecological (energy inefficient buildings) and economic (inefficient use of urban space) imbalances. As a rule, traditional African housing development uses various architectural and structural solutions, local materials, as well as natural means of improving the microclimate (orientation to the cardinal directions, wind direction) to create comfortable living conditions. This article examines the conditions for the development of characteristic types of urban dwellings in Africa. The author provides an evaluation analysis of the socio-economic efficiency of housing types and offers recommendations for the development of sustainable urban housing.