The book aims to capture the spatial and socio-economic divide between rural and urban areas. This book project is seen as a necessity and road map to revamping the discussion that surrounds the urban-rural sphere. It remains a necessity for researchers to be involved in the reawakening of the rural-urban spatial and economic divide argument. The book is of great relevance to scholars in planning, development studies, rural development, agricultural studies, sociology, geography, housing, community development, construction management and political science and other interdisciplinary studies who are interested in critiquing both urban and rural space. The book should be envisaged as a material database for the urban-rural problem identifiers and problem-solving approaches to some case studies for both urban and rural issues. The book as a collection of pre-21st century and 21st-century issues shall be a mixed combination of philosophical thinking, case studies driven studies, past and present works which will provide a plethora of readings focused on both urban and rural areas across the globe. It shall be narrative, philosophical and scientific in such a way that the real-time events are provided and future spatial resilience is well painted. Key to the book project’s focus and objective is the interest in the decolonisation of the understanding of rural development from the rest of African. The focus is propelled towards rebranding of the rural African thinking from the European justification or arguments to the African experience. The proposed book captures the spatial, economic and socio-environmental divide of the urban and rural space. It provides a global departure from the common rural or urban argument, but rather a balanced premise within the inclusivity, equity and diversity mainstreaming of various elements of respondents. The study within the contested space or surviving persons queries the peri-urban and regional spaces and people along increased and reported physical, social, economic and spatial inequality, diversity and disparity that exists along various ethno-racial and gender corridors. The interest is to provide a book that provides a balanced argument between urban and rural spaces so that inequality is managed, and diversity is harnessed for collective national development. Therefore, the proposed book will “collapse spatial walls” of urban and rural areas that seek to uncover the true perspectives of diversity, inclusion, equity, justice and fairness within social realms. The depth of this book’s enquiry rests on its critical investigation of urban and rural struggles for improved livability and livelihood enhancement.

The targeted audiences of the book are undergraduates/postgraduate students, academics, researchers, policy experts, rural project managers, departments involved in rural development, private professionals and institutions involved in urban and rural studies, management. The book would serve a broad audience from various stakeholders within their practice and professional theaters of rural and urban spaces.

Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following: • Rural Regions, Urbanisation, SDG, and Sustainability • City movers and struggle • Regional policies towards enhancing rural development • The contested spaces-peri-urban and rural transition • The urbanisation effect and the rural spatial change • SDG and Urban-rural performance • Urban-Rural community resilience against poverty, disaster, and pandemics • Promoting African Development through Indigenous Knowledge and self-identity • African Indigenous Agriculture and Food Security • Indigenous Knowledge System Approaches to conflict management and transformation. • African Traditional Leadership and Governance Systems. • Indigenous Knowledge Systems and local community enterprises, technology, and cultural diversity • Indigenous rural knowledge and housing development. • The Changing Face of African Urban-Rural Migration and Mobility • Exploring Labour-Based Approach for Rural Roads • Urban-Rural mobility and transportation dynamics • The Rural-Urban Setting: Place Geographies, Land and Housing

Ayobami Popoola University of KwaZulu-Natal bcoolay2@yahoo.com Hope Magidimisha-Chipungu University of KwaZulu-Natal magidimishah@ukzn.ac.za Lovemore Chipungu University of KwaZulu-Natal chipungu@ukzn.ac.za