Discussion on the case of Nairobi’s Matatus, People, Politics and Power-Play.
Nairobi: Will the new boss make the city work?
Nairobi’s new administration under Governor Johnson Sakaja faces an uphill task at ensuring the just principles of Dignity, Equity and Diversity, Rights and Responsibilities, Democracy for the citizens. However, a lot is achievable.
MIT CO-Lab: De-Colonizing Air Pollution
Follow this New conversation on Decolonizing Air Pollution Science in the context of different African countries! This Edition features the amazing Atmospheric Scientist Rebecca Garland, Epidemiologist Kofi Amegah, Scientist Noemi Tousignant and Urban Planner Constant Cap. Read the summary or listen to the whole episode! https://www.colab.mit.edu/colabradio-more/decolonize-science-ep4 Thanks @MITCoLab
Covid-19: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Pandemics provide us with opportunities to reflect on our spatial management: good impacts, bad effects and ugly incidences. Although the general trend is that we are coerced into making short term changes; in many spheres, pandemics can serve as potential triggers for implementing long term improvement. The Covid-19 pandemic has been no exception. Some key […]
Nairobi Expressway: Misjudged Priorities?
The Kenyan Government launched the Construction of the Nairobi Expressway on 16th October 2019. The project consists of a 26 Km road expansion of which 11 Km will be elevated crossing right through the city of Nairobi. The Kenya National Highways Authority had circulated a document giving some information on the proposed project. The pamphlet […]
The Otherwise Podcast Episode 77: The Problem With Our Roads
The Otherwise Podcast looks at ways of understanding and possibly changing the situation in Kenya. As the guest in this weeks’ episode we looked at ‘Road Safety and Urban Planning.’ This followed the recent directive by the Ministries of Transport and Interior. We discussed the aspects of the paratransit industry, link between land use management […]
#MjiWetu: Do Walls improve the Security of our City?
Slightly over two decades ago, most residential fences in middle class areas of Nairobi consisted of natural trees like cypress or key-apple. For a city that doesn’t drain well, this manner of fencing greatly benefited it during the wet season, providing adequate paths for rainwater to flow towards the many small rivers that pass through […]
Participation: Using Social Media in the Urban Planning process
The role played by communication and participation in urban planning cannot be underestimated. Without proper communication to various stakeholders, plans and projects can easily fall prey to misunderstandings or be swayed by opponents and selfish interest groups. This predicament has been witnessed worldwide in various transportation, housing development and even urban renewal projects. As a […]
Nairobi, Kenya aims at Regularizing Unauthorized Structures
January 28, 2015, The collapse of a residential building on the 17th of December, 2014 in Makongeni and another one in Huruma on the night of the 4th of January 2015 has led to the Nairobi City County Government calling for an emergency recess to analyze and seek approval of the Nairobi City County Regularization […]
How can Nairobi, Kenya deal with its “Buildings of Death?
January 20, 2015 A recent study by a doctoral student at Carnegie Mellon University revealed that at least three out of four buildings in Nairobi would be seriously damaged in the event of a major earthquake. The report revealed that most concrete used in Nairobi lacks the required compressive strength. Among the causes listed for […]
