This archive report was first published on 3 July 2020.
Friday, July 3, 2020, marked a turning point in Kenya's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. As the country grappled with the unprecedented challenge to global health and wellbeing, it became clear that certain weaknesses in urban planning were exacerbating the crisis.
Overpopulated settlements, poor sanitation, unplanned housing, lack of fresh water, and poor waste management are just a few of the issues that have been highlighted in informal settlements in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya.
According to estimates, about 22 percent of the population will live in urban areas and cities by 2020, with urbanisation growth rates projected to double before 2030 as a result of industrialisation and growth of services sectors.
City planners have a crucial role to play in mitigating the worst impacts of the pandemic. They should join forces with the Ministry of Health to assess the impact of Covid-19 in densely populated and unsanitary environments.
By bringing technical support to the table, city planners can help to address the root causes of poor planning, including the approval of buildings and settlement architecture that is not sustainable from a citizen wellbeing perspective.
One way to achieve this is by making Nairobi part of the Smart City movement. This would involve allocating land for housing, making public spaces available at the centre of settlement lifestyles, and ensuring universal access to quality basic services.
Most importantly, planning space allocation should go hand-in-hand with incentives for private sector investment in essential services.
As Singapore's success story shows, with the right approach, it is possible to transform cities and improve the lives of their residents. In 2020, 65 percent of Singapore's population used to live in slums, but thanks to overall maintenance planning, strong government support, and legislation, home ownership is now high.
