This entry discusses the pattern of urbanization prevailing in Sudan, the prevalence of informal settlements in urban areas, and gender relations in those settlements.

Arguably, most urban areas in Sudan have developed informally and continue to grow in that manner. Most were extant villages, or small marketplaces, which were transformed into urban centers by administrative decrees that assigned to them some urban functions with a concomitant replanning of their fabric and extension of basic services. The prime example…