By LUBADDE RAHIM
lubadder@gmail.com
April 2020
Be merciful to me, Oh God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. (Psalm 57:1-2)
A mistake in the lab costs the world life and money.
The ever-proliferating number of Covid-19 victims across the global lining has fancied me into writing an article on how Physical Planning profession stands out as a unique component in facilitating public health and reducing pandemics of different origins. The basic role of Physical Planning is to create convenient, equitable, efficient, health and attractive centers for a future.
Today, the government of Uganda has most emphasized it verbally but putting less efforts in funding through limited human resource, no identifiable physical planning departments in local government and less corresponding enforcement. Where by the work of planners is placed under Engineering, Works, Environmental, Natural Resource sectors forgetting that all these are directed by Physical Planning. It should be noted that the epicenter of Urban/Physical Planning is a “Master Plan” which manifests its self in different phenomena for instance, community planning, comprehensive planning, action planning, disaster preparedness planning and overall city planning. This is always reinforced with utmost enforcement to ensure that all the plans are implemented as proposed.
Physical planning is a blessed profession for its never a stunt; it cuts across our livelihood, that even other professions require it for their survival. It shares common objectives with Public Health since both aim at improving the wellbeing of our subjects. Tools of urban planning are significant in maintaining the health of our people/communities for example GIS. This was first introduced by John Snow who was tracking the outbreak of Cholera in London during the 1850’s. In that way, it’s very easy to track the origin and/or the spread cycle of Covid-19. To a greater depiction, urban planning has been used to create compatible cities, improve sanitation, aesthetics and creating organized neighborhoods. Its only on advantage of organized communities that they are able to fight against pandemics faster, ensure that supplies reach all places as required. Many of our communities are slummy, disorganized, congested and lack connectivity in-that during cases of emergency some of our areas are totally impenetrable. China has recorded less cases of Covid-19 in the recent week because the management and delivery of supplies was easier due to the planned nature of cities which might not be easier for Kampala due to the congestion issues that are vexing us up. Cases of Katwe, Ndeeba, Kabowa, Bwaise, Mulago and others can easily run into a complete state of susceptibility in a manner that makes it difficult for inhabitants to be helped during pandemics as compared to areas of order like Muyenga, Naguru, Lubowa and Munyonyo among others.
If there is any more other reason apart from self-centeredness that we as a third world country need to have healthy communities, then Physical Planning dimensions need not to be left out at all stages. Calamities and natural disasters are a form of contingency negative attributes that show gaps in our planning sector. Uganda needs to do better, from a pothole in the road to housing as an entire sub-sector. The recent Bududa landslides that left many homeless and others losing lives, the former Ebola outbreak in the East, the slummy conditions of our capital, the recent massacre of Moslem clerics, business men and great politicians are all upshots of a failed Physical Planning system.
Let this be another great reason for us to aim higher. To rethink and refurbish new ideologies. Let us act than ever before, let us reinforce our relationship with the environment, let us act as if we are leaving this earth.
NB: We need to think of a collective solution; one for a future
The blame game should not be the master of our generation. This is a foreign virus that is being carried into the black continent by our colonial ‘gods’. Safety measures are supposed to be a daily perquisite for living. For example, the wide roads aimed at ensuring that all properties are easily accessed for emergencies like disease outbreak etc. Supplementary functionalities locating close to each other to reduce distances travelled to access basic needs. As urbanist, as physical planner, we must in all ways show our relevance in all situations concerning the wellbeing of people and always put in mind the following questions:
Can we easily transport covid-19 suspects and supplies including medicines and food to hospitals and people’s residences respectively?
Are our health facilities distributed as per the demand and equity?
Can business thrive in areas of the pandemic basically the informal sector and support businesses?
Is there a well-coordinated urban system that can easily be used to monitor suspects including cameras, street lighting etc.?
Are there facilities for passive leisure in terms of open parks where government can stage urgent camping sites for treatment of patients and assembly of hospital equipment in case of an increase in numbers?
Now that the pandemic is here for us, with us forever and we have nowhere to hide. The street is our home, its where most of us get food. We must position ourselves in a manner that gets us prepared to either withstand or walk out without or with less damage. Our subjects are counting on us(professionals), our leaders too are out of ideas; But much as we call ourselves urban planners, we need to be visionary thinkers to always come up with ideas on how to curb the trending disease. This is a lesson to Uganda, to streamline a system where all citizens, families and friends can be monitored. Imagine if government knows where everyone in the country lives; it could be easy for it to track all passengers who came back from Dubai and other infected countries.
Here seated on my laptop fathoming about how government could close up some roads in case the pandemic attacks some areas and are put under quarantine? It difficult to close them because our towns have got so many unplanned inlets and outlets.
Planned cities can help coupe with disease outbreak and cases of emergencies including fires, earthquakes, landslides etc., therefore our government needs a greater strategy through which it will get rid of the impending catastrophe. Covid-19 is not the last one of the kinds; we have to aim higher. The garden city approach of urban design and planning argues boulevards and city rail systems that identifies cities from each other. A city that is boarded by a physical component is in itself protected from intruders in case of emergencies. This is not the case of Kampala with an overwhelming rate of urbanization, it’s very uneasy to trace the boundary of Kampala without a ‘map’. The pandemics have seen a negative shift in urbanization i.e. urban to rural where more people are going upcountry and leaving the city empty. Everyone is living in phobia that even as I press my laptop to put up this article, I have no self-confidence of surviving the Covid-19 pandemic.
The general public is reminded to consider washing hands regularly, don’t touch your face before sanitizing; Stay safe in your homes; stock foodstuff and some medicines; keep the elderly away; avoid unnecessary movements; halt gatherings and trust no body because everyone is a victim. (as guided by the Ministry of Health) We shall finally overcome.
There is no assurance that government will easily provide supplies to all families across the country not because it lacks funds but because of lack of a system of coordinating our people. We need to stay vigilant, and report all those who are showing signs and symptoms.
National housing needs to take on a role in providing housing to the people such that next time when we have issues of Quarantine, shelter is provided freely. The ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development is the master of all building, land ownership and Physical Planning in the country. The task of providing housing to the people in Uganda should be placed ‘back’ in custody of the above ministry.
The Master Plan
Consequently, the president of Uganda (Mr. Museveni) has also failed to stop public transport in the city to prevent the vicious spread of the pandemic and in his own words, “If the city had enough bicycles, I would have suspended public transport…” The presidential statement is a direct manifestation of a poor transport strategy that KCCA has utilized over the recent past. We need an environment where work proceeds with availability of the disease. Covid-19 is not the last infection, others will come and numerous will die but the question will always remain: what have we done as a country to get prepared of the natural disasters and pandemics. The need for Urban planners and Physical planners will always manifest in all challenges that we face as a country whether unemployment, security, development, political.
(Non-motorized transport as an alternative to taxis and buses)
Finally, there is a need for government to pave way in municipalities, town councils, districts and cities across the country to employ more physical planners in that regard and as well to task them to perform as expected. It is also important to note that fighting for proper, organized, compatible, healthy and attractive cities is role of urban planners and designers.
The writer is a physical planner
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