Aklilu Wolde was born and raised in Addis Abeba. A seventh child for his parents, he grew up around Taiwan Market in Merkato, officially known as Addis Ketema District.

He had to leave the city in 2008 after a college placement landed him in Dire Dawa. It left him longing for his city despite occasional visits during school breaks. He returned to the capital after graduating in construction technology and management, full of hope and excitement.

“What I love about the city is the older architecture of some of the key sights, such as National Theatre,” he says.

Others residents, too, seem to appreciate the heritage and culture of the city.

“The people of Addis are very accommodating and nobody cares or even asks where you are from,” says Seleshi Umer, a motivational speaker who moved to the city from Debrezeit seven years ago. “The social life and lifestyle are what attracted me.”

Out of a survey of 50 residents of the city, sentiments and aspirations about Addis Abeba went along the same vein. Asked about what they wanted to see in their city, and what they expected of their mayor, most were pragmatic. They hoped to see a city that would support them in their endeavours to learn, work, enjoy and raise their children.

The residents were interviewed at various locations in the city: Qera, Piassa, Bole, Mesqel Flower, National Stadium and Haya Hulet. They hoped and aspired to see a city where the transportation is functional, the infrastructure working, the streets are clean and kept, rents are affordable, employment opportunities are ample, the cultural heritage is preserved and an urban setting that supports a thriving art scene and human diversity.

Addis Abeba, a century or more since its birth, is home to nearly four percent of the nation's population. It is the continental hub for Africa, as much as it is the political and economic epicentre of Ethiopia. The city is host to one of the largest number of United Nation’s missions in the world, as well as being the seat of the African Union’s headquarters.

“This is a city that has been continuously giving and getting nothing in return,” says Henok Birqu, 29, a sound engineer. “It deserves more.”

His hopes for the city are the improvement of the quality of life. His idea of progress is the 50-billion-Br La Gare Eagle Hills complex, a project concept that is still in its inception and features hotels, apartments, shops and entertainment centres.

Jointly owned by Abu Dhabi-based private real estate company, Eagle Hills, and the City Administration, it is expected to have three hotels, 4,000 apartments, a mall and entertainment centres developed on a 36ha plot of land. The project is expected to provide employment opportunities to 25,000 people.

Another recent major project in the city is the 29-billion-Br River Revitalisation Project that hopes to clean the riverbeds and riverbanks across Addis Abeba. The cost of a pilot project alone is expected to be 2.5 billion Birr, equivalent to around six percent of the city administration’s budget and almost seven percent of the tax revenue it plans to collect.

The plan incorporates the installations of water treatment plants, tunnel development and stormwater facilities. It will also include roads, playgrounds, sports fields, shops, bicycle paths, walkways and entertainment sections - all of it planned, from concept development to implementation, to be completed in three years.

Just this month, the City Administration announced the construction of another project for a library that will lie on 38,687Sqm of land, Adwa Centre, that will include a museum, a cinema, a conference hall, a children’s zone, a sports centre, art exhibition centres, cafés and a green area.

But such fancy projects are not uppermost on the minds of city residents, who wish for mundane things such as a functional city that is well managed and maintained. They are concerned with the constant power interruptions, water shortages, housing costs, uncollected garbage on their streets, failed infrastructure and the poor services delivered by the municipal departments.

“I want a city that can properly provide me with basic services,” says Wasihun Fantahun, 32, a businessperson.

Only 25 weredasout of the 116 in the city receive uninterrupted running water throughout the whole week. The rest get rationed water that arrives at the taps between one and five days a week. The Addis Abeba Water & Sewerage Authority is able to supply 575,000 cubic metres of water, satisfying just two-thirds of overall demand.

There are a number of projects the city is undertaking to tackle this problem. The most recent is the Legedadi Phase II Water Project to supply potable water to 860,000 residents of the city and others in the outskirts at a cost of 2.4 billion Br.

However, the project was greeted with opposition by the Oromia Regional State government, which stated that the plan required more consultation.

This is an issue that has quickly become politicised. It was one more reminder that national politics will continue to impact how the city is administered. In fact, Addis Abeba has figured highly in the current polarised atmosphere.

Recently, tensions rose after the city administration identified over 51,000 beneficiaries of housing units under its middle and lower-middle income housing scheme. Some of the units were built in Koye Feche and Yeka Abado sites, both in the outskirts of the city, sparking debate about administrative demarcations and compensation made to farmers.

Voices have grown louder over how and who should administer the city as well. This has involved debates over Deputy Mayor Takele Uma, an unelected official who was appointed by the City Council as the de facto mayor.

For some residents, the city’s mayor should be a native of the city.

“Addis Abeba needs a leader that understands the cultural and historical heritage of the city,” says Sisay Sahlu, 27, a journalist.