For a very long time, neighborhoods like Pipeline estate have been synonymous with tall dark buildings characterized by indoor dampness, poor lighting, lack of parking, and lack of space for children to play. This situation is quickly replicating in middle income neighborhoods such as South B, South C, Kilimani and Kileleshwa.[1]

The script is always the same with the estates starting out as well-organized neighborhoods, where everything from the housing units to the recreational spots are well laid out.

With time, they start experiencing gradual decay when the construction and development standards of the areas are not adhered to.

Developers driven by their need to maximize profits end up disregarding existing zoning by-laws, plot ratios, ground coverage and environmental issues. They also fail to observe the capacity of the available infrastructure services.

The resultant is chaos:  loss of aesthetics, health and safety risks, as well as reduced livability of cities. You start having new buildings which lack adequate lighting and require artificial lighting even during the day, damp and cold corridors. No playing ground for children and inadequate parking spaces.

Since developers are purely driven by profits, it is the role of the government through planning authorities, to maintain some balance between public interest and private interest.

The construction approval process in Kenya is vested on the Physical Planning departments within the County Government management. The Physical Planners employed by County Governments are the ones mandated to make the architectural plan approval or disapproval.

Despite the robust regulations in place, enforcement is nearly non-existent. In addition, rogue developers in cahoots with corrupt county officials are always circumventing the system and obtaining approvals for illegal developments.

This is the main reason behind the downward trend of many localities. The failure in city planning has led to Kenyans turning to gated communities and residential associations as a last resort to stem uncontrolled and unplanned developments.

The Rise Of Gated Communities.

A gated community is a residential neighborhood or housing estate that strictly controls its entrances. It provides a closed perimeter of fences or walls to enhance the security of this space.

The purpose of the gates between the walls or fences is to provide the perception of exclusivity and security more than it is to prevent or deter crime.

The trend is particularly common in the up-market niche of private housing development.

This approach to residential living is on high demand among by tenants and homeowners since it promotes higher home values and a better living standard. 

The residents of the community share certain social amenities and facilities such as electric fence, street lights, roads, sewer systems, swimming pools and the gym among others.

These services are paid for in the form of a service charge that is then distributed to individual residents and in the process lessening the cost burden.

In this way, the gated communities are able to maintain better living standards in their estates, which is not offered by the authorities.

The gated communities are normally managed by their respective residents associations, though a residents association can be formed by independent home owners who are not necessarily in a gated community.

The Role of Residents Associations in Physical Planning

Over the years, Kenya has seen a rapid growth of Resident Associations as more and more citizens embrace the need to take charge of their neighborhoods.[2]

The concept of Resident Associations started gaining ground in the 90’s when majority Kenyans were frustrated by the poor services from the government and felt that they needed to develop structured ways of advocating for better services.

Resident associations are groups that are formed by residents of an area for purposes of communing together and protecting interests of the neighborhoods they represent.

The last ten years has seen rapid growth of Resident Associations as citizens are increasingly becoming aware of their rights, roles and responsibilities and making demands for better services from the government.

Currently there are over 3,000 registered Resident Associations spread across Kenya with a larger concentration of the Associations in the urban areas.  

The Associations have been instrumental in advocating for better services and demanding compliance to the rule of law. Residents are no longer willing to sit back and lament about poor services or wait for the government to avail services. Through the Associations, residents have taken charge of their neighborhoods and are actively involved in ensuring that they can access services such as garbage collection, security, water supply, protection of open spaces within the neighborhood among others.

The Associations have also been instrumental in protecting the property value and aesthetic appeal of their neighborhood by demanding that any new development taking place within the neighborhood must conform to the planning and zoning laws governing the area. For example, recently, Karen Ngong View Estate Association went to court to stop construction of Karen Village Culture and Heritage Centre on the grounds that it didn’t adhere to the relevant laws and the development will be a danger to their right to a clean, healthy as well as safe environment that is free from noise, stress and air pollution. Similar moves have been made by several other Associations across the country.

The place of Resident Associations in the achievement of sustainable cities and communities cannot therefore be overemphasized.

Sources:

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However, critics have been quick to point out that some of the “ultra modern markets” look more of go-downs than markets. The principle of form follows function appearing to have been completely disregarded.

“Form follows function,” a famous maxim coined by architect Louis Sullivan (1856–1924), articulates the principle that the shape of a building or object should directly relate to its intended function or purpose.

The whole essence of moving away from existing open air markets is to provide better spaces devoid of congestion with proper hygienic conditions. Previously, markets lacked toilet facilities, running water and had no arrangements for waste disposal. In the rainy season the market area would became extremely muddy, yet sellers still displayed their produce on the ground, increasing the risk of contamination from soil or mud.

Lack of any form of shelter meant that produce was displayed in the sun. This had a major impact on the life of fresh produce and its nutritional value.

The ultra-modern markets being constructed should minimize all of these problems and instead provide a healthier overall market environment. There should be deliberate plans on how to reduce food contamination and any post harvest losses.

The orientation of the market buildings in relation to climatic factors should maximize air flow and minimize solar heat gain. There should be adequate provision for natural ventilation and lighting that will allow for a an airy internal environment conducive for buyers and sellers.

A key feature of market design is in the ease of circulation. The market layout should aim to achieve an unobstructed flow of traffic by segregating the pedestrian movement from heavy delivery vehicles. This way market users are not hindered by distribution activities, regardless of the time deliveries are made. 

To minimize congestion, there should be more than one entry and exit point. Adequate space should also be provided for sale areas, storage, administration, specialized facilities such as cooling facilities, circulation and especially parking.

The building design should avoid different road/floor levels as this prevents the use of simple hand carts and more sophisticated handling facilities.

Finally, clear arrangements must be set up for the management and maintenance of the markets. Rules for market operation need to be agreed on at an early stage with stakeholders as well as methods of leasing spaces and the setting of fees.

Apart from daily rubbish collection, the management should also arrange for regular visits to the market by local health inspectors.

Cover Image: The MarketHall in Rotterdam, Netherlands courtesy of Daria Scagliola & Stijn Brakkee

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Built environment experts have called for the redesign of public spaces and buildings to mitigate future pandemics that have been known to thrive in dingy, congested and poorly planned spaces.

The kind of changes that will need to be implemented as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic include changes in seating arrangements in vehicles, offices and emphasis on biosafety for both private and public buildings.

Establishing mandatory hygiene stations at entrances to buildings

Hygiene stations can be in the form of a simple hand wash basin with running water, soap and paper towels to dry the hands. Where this is not possible then sanitizers can be availed. This will safeguard transmissions especially through shared surfaces that one cannot avoid touching such as shopping carts, handrails, lift buttons, ATMs and buttons on copy machines. These surfaces can potentially hold viruses for several hours and should be cleaned and disinfected regularly throughout the day.

Zero contact

It is important to limit the number of surfaces that come into contact with many people. Installing automatic doors, which open and close with the help of sensors, eliminates the need for using door handles.

Hand free sensor taps may be more costly but are far more hygienic than normal taps since they require no human contact. They are best suited for for public washrooms, hospitals and homes for the elderly.

There has been concern about finger print recognition systems which require users to touch the sensors. They can act as a medium to pass the virus via contact. One can opt to disinfecting the sensor surfaces with alcohol and this could significantly lower the possibility of virus transmission, if not completely remove it.

Public Transport

The Ministry of Health has instructed all public service vehicles to observe spacing between passengers by carrying only 60 per cent of the capacity of their vessels. All public service operators are also required to provide sanitizers for passengers before boarding vehicles.

The shortfalls of the the existing public transport system have been pointed out here. There is therefore urgent need for increased investments in social public infrastructure especially the non motorized transport in the form of cycling lanes and foot paths.

Cover Image: The new biosafety terminal from Ethiopian Airlines at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport. Source: Ethiopian Airlines.

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The battle between the built environment and open spaces is being fought and sadly won by the “private developers”. Playgrounds, public parks and other green spaces that were once open to the public are on a steady decline, being substituted instead with gray infrastructure in the form of gated communities, malls and office complexes.

As urbanization increases, so should our appreciation of the importance of green spaces. They provide recreational opportunities both for organized sports and individual exercise. They are a welcome reprieve from the urban environment, allowing citizens to interact with nature which is generally important for one’s mental and psychological well being.

As an island of nature an urban public space promotes biodiversity and provides a home for natural species in environments that are otherwise uninhabitable due to city development. They contribute to the overall aesthetics of an area ameliorating the built-up character of the cities.

Even as development of residential properties is at a high, we need to ensure we increase allocation of public recreational space. Residents and local authorities must be vigilant to resist any attempts by shrewd business men to grab school playgrounds, road reserves and riparian lands.

Existing public spaces need to be well maintained. It has been pointed out that unused and unfenced open land is more attractive to grabbers than fenced and regularly used open spaces.The bark stops with the county government which has been faulted for focusing on public spaces close to the CBD like Uhuru Park and Jeevanjee Gardens but neglected public open spaces that are in residential areas.

Residents can also partner with the county authorities, corporates and NGOs in an effort to not only reclaim and protect these spaces but also develop and make good use of them. Groups such as friends of Nairobi Arboretum and Friends of City park Nairobi are but a few examples where concerned citizens have come together and formed lobby groups that watch over and, at times, maintain the parks.

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A trip to Mombasa County, fondly referred to as County 001, and one is amazed at how the small town is slowly morphing into a garbage paradise with litter piling left, right and center. So pathetic is the situation that the president was recently quoted urging traders at Kongowea market,one of the county’s largest open air market, not to pay taxes to their County Government.

He cited collection of garbage and putting of drainage in the market among services not being done. While many dismissed his statements as politically motivated, recent public outcry has seen many Kenyans challenging the Mombasa County government to come up with a better waste management plan so as to restore the city’s lost glory.

Tourists travelling by road from Moi International Airport to the city center have to endure an intolerable stench from the Kibarani dumpsite as the heaps of garbage within the Central Business District are an eyesore to both residents and visitors.

Waste Management Plans

Poor management of solid waste is a general problem cutting across all the forty seven counties in Kenya. While waste generation is a natural part of healthy living, it becomes a threat if the systems in place are not sufficient to manage it properly.You will find that in most urban populations, the proportion of solid waste generated is much higher compared to that which is collected.

Article 2 of the fourth Schedule in the Constitution of Kenya explicitly provides that the County Governments shall be responsible for refuse removal, refuse dumps, and solid waste removal. That County Governments have slacked in their duties of providing waste collection as an urban service is open for all to see.

Where county governments have slacked, we have seen community based organisations (CBOs) in the form of Youth Groups and other Self Help Organizations stepping up to fill in the gap. This has however had its own fair share of challenges. The process required to get a permit for waste management is lengthy and marred with many bureaucratic processes with some county officials even asking for bribes.

If we are serious in solving the waste problem then the County should streamline licensing procedures to make it simple and affordable for the youth to be economically engaged in active garbage collection, sorting, recovery, and sale of recyclables to waste dealers, while also designating communal waste collection points, improving transportation, and ensuring safe disposal of solid wastes.

Another growing concern is that designated dumping sites are bearing more garbage than what they were intended to. Case in point is the 30-acre Dandora Dumpsite that was meant to hold 500,000 tonnes of garbage, but is currently holding some 1.8 million tonnes. Scientists, led by a lecturer at the University of Nairobi’s Department of Chemistry, Prof Shem Wandiga, have warned of increased air pollution in Nairobi if the dumpsite is not closed down.

They say the 30-year-old facility is way past its maximum shelf-life of 14 years, and has become a major health threat to Nairobi  residents.Besides polluting the air, the waste from the dumpsite is finding its way into Nairobi River, thus  polluting  the water that many people downstream use to grow vegetables and other crops, raising questions as to how safe it is to consume such vegetables.

This points to an urgent need to set up a new dumping facility or alternatively to adopt sustainable waste management in existing dumpsites in order to prolong their life.

Recycling Waste

The Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Master Plan (NIUPLAN) proposes a material recovery facility (MRF) in the Dandora Dumpsite that will ensure all the incoming waste is separated into organic, recyclable and non-organic.

The organic waste will be fermented for 30 days to reduce its volume by about 55 per cent. This separation of waste will also ease recovery and improve captured material quality of recyclable waste at minimal cost.

Important waste materials that can easily be recycled include; paper, scrap iron – used by local artisans and metal working companies, plastics and whole bottles.The re-use of refuse thus plays an important role in improving the urban physical environment.

By reducing the total amount of solid waste headed for the landfill (or left lying to rot in the streets), recycling and composting are land-saving and pollution-reducing strategies. Waste re-use also plays a valuable resource conserving role: by recycling materials, further exploitation of scarce natural resources is minimized, thus containing the spreading ecological footprint of the city.

Cover Image Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-18101593

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The sights and sounds across the country point to various misfortunes that have befallen citizens ranging from the inconvenience of being unable to access various flooded areas to the extreme case where lives have been lost when people are swept away by flood waters.

Collapse of Weak Structures

Poorly constructed buildings and inadequately designed structures are more likely to collapse in the rainy season than in the dry season.

The risk is also eminent in ongoing constructions particularly walls under construction if not adequately propped or reinforced.

Precipitation exerts additional lateral and axial forces capable of  destabilize substandard buildings thus heightening the risk of collapse.

Occupants of such rickety buildings will always see or notice signs of imminent collapse such as major cracks in the walls, gaps between the floors and walls,frames of doors and windows appear bending or inclined to one side etc.

Irregular approval of plans for construction without a care about environmental consequences has seen a rise of buildings constructed on riparian land and natural watercourses.

These building on riparian land are at high risk of collapse with weak foundations that are not anchored on firm ground.

Buildings that are constructed too near to the river interfere with the flow of water causing floods in lower areas.

Areas such as South C, Nairobi West and Langata are prone to floods as a consequence of buildings have been constructed on the banks of Nairobi River.

Flooded residential areas

Floods are common in low lying areas, or areas where the water table is high. There are areas such as Narok and Budalangi that are well known to be vulnerable to floods yet people still live in such, somehow hoping that nature will be gracious to spare them when it strikes.

Every so often people die and properties are damaged when heavy rains strike yet the public and its leadership refuse to move the town to higher grounds . Once homes become flooded and boreholes contaminated then we have fears of outbreak of waterborne diseases.

Paralyzed Transport

The joke doing the rounds is that all roads in Nairobi become rivers during the rainy season.

The underlying problem points to poor planning and the unhappy state of our drainage systems.

I have seen may roads especially in slum areas with absolutely no drains. A slight pour renders such roads impassable.

The obnoxious habit of throwing garbage out of car windows leaving it to be tendered by nature has seen a deluge of garbage clogging existing drains resulting to inevitable flooding when it rains.

As major road sections become impassable, motorists have to bear with huge traffic snarl ups as pedestrians are left to contend with increased fares and shortage of public service vehicles.

Power Cuts

Most power outages are caused by severe weather – high winds, lightning, rain or flooding. During a storm, power poles are vulnerable to lightning strikes while strong winds can snap off tree branches and down power lines.

In extreme cases, substations get submerged in water due to flooding and have to be switched off to protect equipment from possible damage and for safety reasons.

During such times, businesses are the first casualties as their activities get halted or slowed down due to lack of power.

Others are forced to use generators to serve customers and resort to doubling their service fees to cater for fuel expenses.

Cover Image: Rains in Nairobi By Peter Ndung’u

The post Why Our Cities Can’t Handle A little Rain. appeared first on My Building Code.

Recently, the University Of Nairobi made headlines with news that it had come up with a solution to ease traffic congestion on roads.

The “Bike Share Challenge”, a program sponsored by UN Habitat, UON and the Nation Media Group was launched and started running in the University’s Main Campus.

Under the program, one can borrow a bike, ride it for an hour for just ksh 40 with the condition that you must leave your national ID to be picked upon returning the bicycle. This is in order to prevent theft.

At a time when Nairobi has been ranked the second worst city in the world on traffic congestion, such a move is welcome news and should be taken up by locals in and out of the city.

According to the Serbia-based website numbeo.com, Nairobians spend 62.44 minutes in traffic, thus leading in the top five cities in Africa with the worst traffic.

It is closely followed by Cairo in Egypt (51.56 minutes) and South African Cities Pretoria (49.00), Johannesburg (45.15), Cape Town (44.15) and Durban (53.12). Most of the contributors to this lousy state of affairs would take forever and a lot of time and money to reverse.

The lack of a proper transport system in the city has been blamed to an increase in the number of personal vehicles largely due to the ease with which one can acquire a vehicle and poor designs of roads providing bottlenecks that are a major contributor to jams.

The governments strategy has been to build or expand key roads around the city such as Outer Ring and Ngong Roads, and building a number of key terminuses outside the city centre to serve matatus, which would not have to reach the city centre e.g ParkRoad/Ngara for matatus in the Central Kenya Region, Pangani (under construction) and Muthurwa (currently overrun by hawkers).

While all these will definitely result to reduced traffic, we still have the issue of air pollution by gas emissions. A bike sharing system offers a sustainable solution (both from an environmental and financial standpoint) to the urban problems linked to pollution and traffic.

The Bike Share Challenge can be scaled and rolled out across counties with the concept being to provide free or affordable access to bicycles for short distance trips within an urban setting as an alternative to motorized public transport or private vehicles.

It can be used to solve the last mile problem and connect users to public transit networks, once we cordon off the city centre from public service vehicles.

It would be most preferred as opposed to owning your own bicycle since one does not have to worry about theft/vandalism, parking or storage and maintenance requirements.

It is also good exercise for the cyclist. It can be rolled out as a government initiative under a public private partnership and offered at a subsidized price to the general public.

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