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Donald is an interdisciplinary development planner with a formal background in urban and regional planning. He has over 15 years of international research and practical experience addressing various pressing urban development issues, including the informal economy, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and public health within the context of sustainable development. His current research focuses on planning governance and the forms of urbanization, particularly small-town urbanization in the global South, with a specific emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa. Donald has collaborated with international and local NGOs, policy research institutions, universities, hospitals, and communities, with work extending across countries in Asia and Africa such as Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, and Thailand. His recent research emphasizes small-town urbanization and rural-urban linkages, while aiming to decentralize urban planning discussions from existing urban centers to encompass the diverse processes involved in rural-urban change. Donald’s work highlights the critical role of local institutions, particularly chieftaincy, in urban planning debates, showcasing the developmental potential of rural transformation through 'hybrid' urban planning approaches.