Speaker
Description
Market infrastructure is central to the socio-economic and cultural life of African cities, however, redevelopment initiatives most often than not prioritize the glitz and glamour of physical transformation over the lived experiences and behavioural patterns of market users. This systematic literature review examines how post-occupancy evaluation (POE) and user behaviour analysis have been applied to redeveloped market infrastructure across Africa from 2014 to 2024. Employing the PRISMA 2020 framework, the review identified and synthesized findings from 15 peer-reviewed studies on 20 case studies, with a focus on user satisfaction, architectural interventions, spatial adaptability, and socio-economic impacts. The analysis reveals a strong reliance on subjective assessment methods such as interviews and questionnaires while objective environmental and spatial performance measures remain underutilized. Key challenges identified include persistent thermal discomfort, circulation inefficiencies, and the erosion of socio-cultural practices in redeveloped markets. State-led redevelopment models dominate, often resulting in spatial and economic exclusion of vulnerable user groups. The review highlights significant methodological gaps, particularly the limited integration of participatory and objective POE tools, and calls for a more user-centred, context-sensitive approach to market redevelopment. By consolidating fragmented research and mapping current practices, this paper provides a framework to guide future urban market transformations that are both sustainable and responsive to the needs of African market communities.
Keywords: User Behaviour, Post-Occupancy Evaluation, Market Infrastructure, African Urban Markets