Resilience in the face of Insurgent Urbanism: A case of Nairobi, Kenya
Author
Maina, Ruth Wairimu
Term
4. semester
Publication year
2017
Submitted on
2017-06-02
Pages
65
Abstract
Resiliens (robusthed) er en voksende tilgang i byplanlægning. Den handler om, hvor godt mennesker og steder kan håndtere daglige belastninger og pludselige kriser, og hvordan de kommer sig. Dette speciale undersøger, om resiliens kan give praktiske gevinster i byer, hvor formel planlægning eksisterer side om side med uformel, græsrodsbaseret planlægning. Studiet ser på hurtigt voksende byer gennem erfaringerne hos de mest sårbare borgere, de urbane fattige, med fokus på Nairobi, Kenya. I Nairobi former insurgerende planlægning—uformel eller græsrodsbaseret planlægning uden for de officielle systemer—over 60% af byens urbane struktur. Det centrale spørgsmål er, hvilke værktøjer der skal til for at forbedre projekter, der skal styrke resiliens i sådanne kvarterer. To cases undersøges: KENSUP, et regeringsprogram, og Bio-centres udviklet af Umande Trust. Specialet analyserer, hvordan manglende efterlevelse af de forfatningsmæssige rettigheder—fastlagt i artikel 43, stk. 1, i Kenyas forfatning (2010)—til sundhed, bolig, vand og sikkerhed i uformelle byområder hindrer de fattigste i at opbygge resiliens over for daglige risici. Det belyser også, hvordan forskellige interessenter ruster lokalsamfund i disse bosættelser til at håndtere udfordringer og forbedre deres levevilkår. At Nairobi for nylig er blevet en del af Rockefeller-programmet 100 Resilient Cities, giver en anledning til at diskutere dybere ændringer, der kan fremme resiliens, især for de mest sårbare grupper og dermed for hele byen. Metoderne omfatter interviews, observationer og litteraturgennemgang med fokus på projekternes virkninger i Kibera. Projekterne vurderes desuden op mod et internationalt indeks for at sammenholde deres resultater med internationale standarder. Resultaterne præsenteres som et sæt praktiske værktøjer, inspireret af god praksis fra hele verden, som kan hjælpe med at forbedre de undersøgte projekter.
Resilience is a growing idea in urban planning. It refers to how well people and places cope with everyday stresses and sudden shocks, and how they recover. This thesis asks whether resilience thinking can deliver practical benefits in cities where formal planning runs alongside informal, community-led planning. The study looks at rapidly developing cities through the experiences of their most vulnerable residents, the urban poor, with a focus on Nairobi, Kenya. In Nairobi, insurgent planning—informal or community-led planning outside official systems—shapes more than 60% of the city’s urban fabric. The central question is which tools are needed to improve projects that aim to boost resilience in such neighborhoods. Two cases are examined: KENSUP, a government program, and Bio-centres developed by Umande Trust. The thesis analyzes how the denial of constitutional rights—set out in Article 43(1) of the Constitution of Kenya (2010)—to health, housing, water, and security in urban informal settlements has kept the urban poor from building resilience to everyday risks. It also explores how different stakeholders equip communities in these settlements to address challenges and improve their livelihoods. With Nairobi having recently joined the Rockefeller 100 Resilient Cities network, the research uses this moment to discuss deeper changes needed to achieve resilience, especially for the most vulnerable communities and, by extension, the wider city. Methods include interviews, observations, and a review of existing studies, with a focus on the projects’ impacts in Kibera. The projects are also assessed against an international index to compare their performance to global standards. Findings are presented as a set of practical tools, informed by best practices from around the world, that could help improve the projects under study.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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