Regional planning: A failed or flawed project for Africa? Taking advantage of big data science on the horizon

This paper explores regional planning as an applied field of practice in Africa, where it is observed as a failed project or a flawed endeavour. In theory, regional planning (the practice) is based on regional science (the field of study) from which regional policy and regional development flow. The article advances the argument that Africa did not benefit from regional science in the past due to data scarcity. However, with the advent of big data and the data deluge caused by big data, regional science and regional planning stand to benefit. We argue that with the proliferation of big data, Africa can now tap into its opportunities and correct its ‘ugly’ past regarding regional planning. With big data and artificial intelligence (AI)-tools, coupled with skilled and capable people, Africa can effectively mine data and catch up with global trends in urban and regional planning. The study concludes that there is a need to embrace big data and mine data for African regional science and regional planning to be successful. In addition, the African regional planning project was not a failure, but it suffered a stillbirth due to a lack of data and related infrastructure. • Southern Africa's regional planning practice has been flawed because it was premised on a data-deficient foundation. • With the current data deluge, Africa can tap into its opportunities and correct its ‘ugly’ regional planning history. • Africa can leverage big data and artificial intelligence to catch up with global trends in urban and regional planning. • Regional planning in Africa was not a failure, but it suffered a stillbirth due to lack of data and related infrastructure.