The terrain of urbanisation process and policy frameworks: A critical analysis of the Kampala experience

Abstract

Kampala is urbanising in an unplanned manner, but without a clear picture of the underlying dynamics. The city is characterised by lack of proper zoning of economic activities and construction of physical infrastructure without regard to subsequent spatial quality and environmental conservation. Consequently, there are sharp differences in residential standards where expensive housing and luxury flats co-exist with shanty towns and informal settlements, with about 60% of the city’s population living in unplanned informal settlements and often faced with challenges of unemployment. The unprecedented increase in the urban population in Kampala and the prospects for further increases in the near future have economic and social implications concerning employment, housing, education and health, among others. Understanding the nature of the dynamics of the growth or decline of cities like Kampala helps planners to support the processes that lead to harmonious urban development and to deal with the negative consequences of urban growth. This paper reflects the urbanisation dynamics explaining Kampala’s urbanisation process with the view to analysing the implications for an alternative urban policy framework. It argues that the conditions that have allowed the situation to exist have serious policy implications which require the need for an integrated policy framework that can be used to effectively prevent or halt Kampala’s unplanned urbanisation while promoting planned urbanisation. Induced by the migration and lack of information, understanding urban dynamics is crucial to the development of urban policies that can effectively ensure that further urban changes occur in a systematic and satisfactory manner. The current urban process in developing countries like Uganda is associated with poverty, environmental degradation and population demands that outstrip service capacity.

Keywords:

• Uganda
• Kampala
• planning
• urbanisation
• urban dynamics
• policy

Public interest statement

The purpose of this study is to investigate the dynamics or changes explaining Kampala’s urbanisation from 1990 to 2013 with a view of analysing their implications regarding the city’s planning process. This analysis is carried out because of the city authority’s failure to contain the haphazard manner in which Kampala is urbanising. Moreover, it should be noted that policies being applied to guide the planning process are not effective as far as dealing with rapid urbanisation currently taking place. This study is based on the assumption that, all urban policy planners and implementers need a better understanding of urban dynamics in order to design (and implement) innovative, inclusive and sustainable urban policies within the context of socioeconomic development characterised by increasing urban population, demand for social services, unemployment, crime and better ways of improving the quality of life of … urban citizens.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by University of the Western Cape [Writing fellowship].

Notes on contributors

Fred Bidandi

Fred Bidandi is a researcher interested in migration violence and urban studies. His research focuses on persons displaced by violence in the Great Lakes Region, mainly Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He holds a PhD in urban studies and administration with focus on urban policy, planning & management. He is currently a post-doctoral research fellow at the Centre for Humanities Research University of the Western Cape.

John J. Williams

John J. Williams is a professor of Governance & Development Planning at the University of the Western Cape and has the following academic credentials: PhD (Perfect Grade Point Average: straight A’s in all Doctoral courses), MUP. [Illinois, USA]; HED (Cum Laude), MA (UCT supervised), BAHONS., BA; Life member of the Allumni Association, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA. His Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, is based on Tran disciplinary Research: Urban and Regional Planning, Geography, Philosophy, Educational Policy Analysis, “Political Studies, Sociology”].