Gabon is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa, with nearly 86% of people living in cities, facing many issues in terms of rural exodus associated with uncontrolled space consumption, isolation and poverty, insufficient access to basic services and equipments, vulnerability to climate change, difficult control of urban land, weak capacity of municipalities, decentralization still under construction and ineffective planning tools.

In this context, the general objective of the assignment was to provide the cities of Port-Gentil (49.5 km2 with 136,462 inhabitants), Lambaréné (11.6 km2 with 40,000 inhabitants), Mouila (13.1 km2 with 22,982 inhabitants) et Tchibanga (12.1 km2 with 24,000 inhabitants) of a general urban master plan, namely the “schéma directeur d’aménagement urbain” (SDAU) which will guide their sustainable development, in socio-spatial as well as economic terms, by setting the main development orientations and determining selected development areas.

To reach this objective, a strong participatory approach has mobilized actors and stakeholders for a shared vision of development the cities. Our approach has also aimed at strengthening local capacities and at combining individual and collective initiatives with a shared vision of the future.