DEVELOP HOMEGROWN SOLUTIONS TO URBAN SPRAWL

Eastern African cities are characterized by sprawl, high levels of slums and informality, with limited institutional capacity to regulate, administer and manage housing and land market functions. Essentially, these cities are fast-growing, with the majority of growth taking place in slums. It follows that so many rural folks flock to cities in pursuit of new economic opportunities and to connect with the outside world, with majority of whom settling down in slums.

The UN-Habitat in its report; The State of African Cities 2014, faults the direct transplanting of the master planning approach into Eastern African planning contexts. It further states that, this approach ignores the fact that the majority of growth in Eastern Africa occurs in slums and informal settlements. In such circumstances master planning (may) directly contribute to further social and spatial marginalization or exclusion from the urban fabric. 

In most cases this segregation has led to the emergence of informal settlements tailored along tribal lines or group interests. This is informed by the need to have a 'solid pressure group' to help air out the grievances of the slum dwellers. It is purely a political arrangement to cure a spatial ailment.

This explains the thinking behind the demographic composition of Nairobi’s slums. Each informal settlement is under a certain dominant community that calls the shots. It is akin to an extension of the countryside.

These ‘pressure groups’ can be a source of urban instability thanks to Eastern Africa’s turbulent political climate. Institutionalization of these ‘pressure groups’ must be checked through a consultative and progressive manner. Demolitions and use of force when diagnosing spatial cancers in these settlements will only serve to solidify the philosophy behind the creation of ‘pressure groups’.

In a region pursuing economic progress, it is incumbent to stem this matter and provide a long-lasting solution in order to avert any future crisis.

Planning regimes deployed in Eastern Africa cities have not been focused upon the needed sociopolitical reforms and changes necessary in an African city. Consequently, while isolated pockets of planned urban spaces exist in terms of residential, industrial and corridor developments, these remain largely piecemeal, responding only to a minority of, often the wealthier recipients.

Nairobi city, for instance, is on a trajectory mode. It is experiencing accelerated infrastructure development. Major roads in the city are either being face-lifted or expanded to accommodate the ballooning vehicle-loving city population. 

On the other hand, the urban poor are increasing. With less than five percent of the city's wealth going to the poor, it is therefore, logical to believe that this segment will never climb the economic ladder on their own unless the state intervenes. Previous interventions through master planning and selective development have never played to the advantage of the poor.

In some instances, the state has intervened by building houses for the urban poor only to 'discover' that the slum dwellers aren't in need of these houses. They need the basics - water, schools, markets, toilets, health facilities, police posts et al.

But with the advent of devolved governments and accelerated top-down approach, it is believed urban planning will take center stage and be given the due importance it deserves. It is my hope that these units will adopt a pragmatic approach and deal with the issues of the urban poor once and for all.

Nairobi City County, for example, has a lot to do. In the city's slums, water is still a distant commodity. Sanitation is wanting. Insecurity is at its peak. Disaster-response is overstretched.

Mathare slums, with an approximate population of 500,000 have only three toilets. With such glaring inequalities, it will be a disservice to the people to stick to normative orientations of urban planning in the Global North. It is time to develop and implement homegrown solutions! 

Twitter: @mlemukol