In Africa today, in a majority of cities and towns, a twin development process is occurring wherein formal and informal cities are developing in parallel. In a majority of countries, informal cities, which are multidimensional in structure and scope, are predominating and transforming the urban landscape and environment. Cities are essentially being built back to front, with development taking place before the formulation of planning strategies and the implementation of control and management systems—building structures first and services afterward. This reversed development approach is also reflected in the housing development process, with the poor playing a leading role as the construction project manager, laborer, and finance provider.