Informalisation of a planned neighborhood in Nairobi

Abstract EN

Nairobi was established more than 100 years ago as a transit point for the Uganda Railway.

This railway was developed by the British Colonial administration, to link Mombasa on the Indian Ocean coast with lake Victoria in the interior of the East African colonies.

Over the years, Nairobi has grown into a major communication hub for the East and central African region.

It is home for approximately 3 million people and the political and economic capital of Kenya.

Nairobi’s annual population growth rate of about 4.5 % is fairly high.

If this growth rate is maintained, the city’s population will double in almost 20years time.

This growth rate by itself puts pressure on the type of legislative and development control measure the city authorities adapt.

One peculiar characteristic of many post-colonial cities, is that their production of urban space is increasingly being informalised.

This is partly because the post-colonial administration opted for continuity rather than change the colonial development control structures.

On the attainment of independence, the restriction on the movement of Africans was relaxed, creating a large influx of people from the rural areas into the city.

The development control measures which wear able to function in a regime based on restrictions were unable to cope with the new changed socio-economic / political circumstances.

This paper examines the Buru Middle income neighborhood, designed and executed from the early 1970s to early 1980s.

over the last 20 year or so, this neighborhood has been informalised.

People are deliberately not complying with the laid down statutes, by manipulating space within the limits of their property boundaries.

The paper argues, that the legislative and development control measures for Buru Buru are not sustainable, and that the city authorities need to dialogue with the property owners and arrive at an acceptable and workable development control system.