With the rapid expansion of Addis Ababa and other major Ethiopian cities, whole areas are being cleared to make way for urban development and business investment. At the same time low-cost condominium apartments are being constructed by the government, mainly in the suburbs, to re-house the people who will be relocated from the city centres. This summary reports on a study carried out with families in three urban communities that are due to be resettled when redevelopment of these parts of the city centres starts.

It reviews the attitudes of children and adults towards the planned relocation, and their expectations, hopes and concerns about the move. The children and their caregivers anticipated many potentially positive changes in their lives if relocation happens. These include better sanitation in particular, better housing, and safer areas for bringing up children. However, they also voiced some concerns mainly regarding the availability of work away from the city centre, transport costs, and the disruption of their social ties.