Aerial view of a township near Cape Town, South Africa © Ahturner, Shutterstock, courtesy G-STIC

Informal Township outside Cape Town, South Africa © Finn stock, Shutterstock, courtesy G-STIC

Cape Coast Beach, West Africa © Raquel Carbonell, Age Footstock, Superstock, courtesy Thames & Hudson

Uncontrolled urban growth in Freetown, Sierra Loene, West Africa. © Fabian von Poser, imageBROKER, Superstock, courtesy Thames & Hudson

Landscape of a typical moroccan berber village © Peter Wollinga, Shutterstock, courtesy G-STIC

House being built on stilts on an earthen mound in Bangladesh © Iftekhar Ahmed

Friday Mosque, Djenne, Maliadj © James Morris, courtesy Thames & Hudson

House of the Chief of Djenne, Mali © James Morris, courtesy Thames & Hudson

Mongolian Ger © Ágnes Birtalan, courtesy Thames & Hudson