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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Africa’s diplomatic capital

Wubneh, Mulatu

Highlights • Examined the demographic change and governance structure of Addis Ababa. • Analyzed the development of the city as an administrative hub and diplomatic capital of Africa. • The city faces a number of economic, environmental and infrastructure challenges. • Major strategic planning measures that the municipality can adopt are recommended.

Abstract As the national capital, Addis Ababa remains the economic, political and administrative hub of Ethiopia. In the last 50years, the city has gained international significance as the headquarter of the African Union (AU), UN Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA) and a regional office for a number of international organizations including UNDP, UNESCO and the European Economic Commission (EEC). However, like many cities in the developing world, Addis Ababa is facing a number of problems related to population growth, lack of economic opportunities, inadequate infrastructure, shortage of housing, and large areas of informal development with major environmental problems. This profile identifies some of the strategic planning elements that the city could adopt as Addis Ababa strives to develop into a premier metropolitan area for a sustainable community and a diplomatic capital.