African continent sees the most interesting trends in the near future for the construction sector, as well as the most serious risks in terms of sustainability of the development models. These countries face two parallel challenges: fighting the lack of resources and channelling their development along a sustainable path. In both cases, innovative methods and technologies can offer a significant contribution: affordable housing set within the social context should develop in parallel with a wise exploitation of the energetic resources; the sustainability of the entire system partly depends on how waste is handled and how to set up a virtuous recycling system; emergency situations must be addressed rapidly and efficiently, and the introduction of low-cost technologies may allow to turn study and preservation of the cultural heritage into an opportunity for development, without subtracting resources from humanitarian assistance. In general, connecting past and present will help to shape the future of countries, where carefully chosen innovative instruments can really make the difference and can allow giant leaps towards a sustainable social, cultural and environmental balance.

A change of paradigm together could make a novel approach to urban (and peri-urban and rural) planning and usage of territories. A holistic view should influence the entire built environment, i.e. the configuration of goods, the structure and use of land and the way in which basic services—such as energy, water, food and waste treatment—are handled. It is about working to move away from the current model of linear urban metabolism—based on the ‘take-make-dispose’ approach—to a circular one, where the consumption of resources and the waste production are minimized. Combining these changes into practice requires working in two main directions. It means, first of all, focusing on the relationship between the architectural, urban and physical aspects of new developments, climate and energy demand. Secondly, it requires identifying and integrating the necessary strategies and infrastructures to close off the energy–water–food–waste circle, searching for a high level of efficiency and self-sufficiency.