A city at the cusp of an aesthetic reformation is laid bare from the top floor of a high-rise in the capital. The contours of an old city trace the edges of an emerging metropolis as Addis Abeba sheds its wrinkles for a sleek cosmopolitan look. The ninety-day project gushing across the city entails mass resettlement and billions in compensation. Just two weeks into the demolition around Piassa, the City Administration has revealed plans to lease of land to prospective developers who can meet the new standards. A delicate balance exists between development projects and resettlement, with experiences in other African countries illustrating that poor planning could leave the displaced worse off.

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