This archive report was first published on 29 October 2019.
On October 29, 2019, the Kenya National Highway Authority announced plans to construct a 27km expressway from Nairobi's JKIA to James Gichuru Road, which has sparked widespread criticism.
The project, which will see 1.3 acres of Uhuru Park hived off for construction, has been met with anger from many, who argue that it will only serve to worsen traffic congestion and urban sprawl.
According to experts, building faster transport systems can actually encourage people to travel further, leading to increased urban sprawl. This is known as the theory of constant travel.
Furthermore, the construction of the expressway will require the acquisition of large tracts of land, which will negatively impact the quality of life of city residents.
As a result, experts argue that sustainable transport infrastructure should be designed to move masses out of the city centre, rather than providing expressways to the airport.
For example, Tokyo, the largest metropolitan area in the world, has a population density of just 2,600 people per square kilometre, due to its well-designed infrastructure that adds roads and open spaces as you move away from the city centre.
By contrast, the proposed expressway in Nairobi will only serve to exacerbate traffic congestion and urban sprawl, making the city less livable and less attractive to residents and visitors alike.
