Antananarivo, the capital city of Madagascar, is facing to rapid urbanization with over two million people in 2009. This process occurs mainly in the suburbs of the city, through the decentralization of housing and activities. From a spatial retrospective and perspective, the key effect of suburbanization is the rapid land use changing. In addition to that, the trend to suburbanization during the last twenty years, leads to a larger scale, and therefore to a new concept which is the Greater Antananarivo. In this context, the urban sprawl retains interest of many stakeholders, including the scientific world. Thus, this study is focused on demographic, social and spatial changes at suburban areas. It describes the particularities of Antananarivo, where suburbanization is characterized by a ribbon development along public transport and infrastructural facilities, a limited sky-scraper development, an extensive consumption of land and a low density sprawl. Indeed, from the old city located on an elevated and symbolic site, the urbanization is expanding to surrounding plains and outskirt centers. The colonial and post colonial expansion contains some planned areas of collective housing and mixed activities. However, the recent expansion results from the individual housing spread, due to the self-house-building system.
