ELECTIONS, PHYSICAL PLANNING & OPEN SPACES

Written by Lubadde Rahim

Date 24th January 2021

Whether saddened or privileged by the prevailing political atmosphere, I come in yet again to expound on the bridge in Urban Planning in the republic of Uganda. Am not here to predict victory to which ever group I prefer but rather to put up a ‘statement’ for the benefit of future cities. It was last week that I stood to challenge a group of Professional Physical Planners and Commissioners in the Urban Development arena in regard to the less innovations amongst prevailing representatives at all levels of Urban and Regional Planning, an idea that many declined. Not being an extremist in anyway, I continue to stand for the common interests of delivering the public good. I dedicate this piece to fellow Physical Planners arguing them to start writing their legacies than walking the misinforming yaks in this contemporary era.

Though not fully immersed in the political game, I gave myself a task to move around the ‘Capital’ to observe the nature in which the voting exercise was carried out by pointing out the inequalities from an Urban Planning point of view. The very few but essential facts that many of us don’t consider while carrying out planning, designing, decision making and policy formulation. During the drive, vigorous observations were established to make meaningful judgements but hitherto my heart bits unceasingly low when I fathom the continued contempt of urban planning as a multi-dimensional profession that affects urban development in numerous traditions. This is not about the Engineers, Land Managers, Economists and Architects but rather a shortfall asserted within my ‘line of work’ by upper authorities including Ministries, local governments, private sector and Urban Planners’ self-articulation. Indeed, we have gone off the norms of Ebenezer Howard’s “garden city”, we have continued to contempt the ideas of Jane Jacobs’ “street and city spaces”. Which history are we writing?

It begun as any other day heedful but unusual with closed urban arcades, shopping malls and markets; security personales roaming around every corner of the ‘National Capital’ to ensure maximum citizen protection. The usually ‘day-active’ streets of Kampala City like Luwum, Ben Kiwanuka, William and the historical Kikuubo lane were painted dark with no traces of human living only comparable to the great Namibi desert. We were welcomed to the longingly awaited voting day where hundreds of urban dwellers stayed in the suburb to cast their votes and others claimed anticipated phobia of the aftermath of the election period. Chanting voices of innocent citizens living in the city peripheral still cling in my medulla and whose name was cheered is a story for another day. It must have been their candidature choices. Many people walked languorously towards their polling stations though a few hastened due to fear of the longevity of cues. The polling grounds were located in distant places from residences which made it a little stiff for all citizens to reach on time and with a lot of unease.

On reaching the polling site, I stopped at the entry and withdrew my hand from the fore pockets of my trousers only to find my voters’ location slip and national Identity card, I must have been prepared to cast my vote. Campaign Photographs for different aspirants had been turned out to face the roadside where every voter passed. The place was filled with electro commission officials, contestants’ agents and a large number of voters. My heart remained cool for the rest of time not until I observed that ‘trespass’ was the order of the day since youth’s never adhered to making straight cues. It had taken 2hours when our cue could not move, people entered it from all directions as if there were no security officers to maintain order. Furthermore, to my dismay, the place become so hot since it was shinning all over. Our cue was aligned directed to the scorching sunlight and there hardly existed any form of shade in the open ground, it begun to feel a little unease for most of us. Even when you felt like resting, you could hardly find a sitting facility. Only the polling officials and agents had plastic chairs to rest their tired bodies. I still vividly remember a group of three old men who I plumb could have been between 80 to 85 years of age and their grandson who left the polling site before casting their vote due to the lack of sitting/resting facilities and yet the sun rays reflected so high. In their expression, it seemed like they had moved a longer distance to access the polling ground.

Putting my setting aside, I knew I needed information regarding other places ridiculously overwhelmed with numbers of voters. I turned to google, as I always do for all my research needs, and looked for the places with the highest number of registered voters. It was disturbing to realize that Internet had been completely switched off. It was a time of no regrets, I turned on my car TV to watch news at noon, most polling stations in Kawempe, Masaka city, Jinja and elsewhere were stunned with numbers. It looked as if there was a political mission to accomplish. Nature cried out loud as my inclination could tell the amount of force that was put on prevailing public spaces especially village plazas, pitches, open grounds, and others.  Clusters of supporters had submerged into different polling stations which had no facilities to handle such capacities. The prevailing greenery was destroyed, rubbish was thrown all over, toilet facilities could not be seen and one wondered where at least officials helped themselves. People spent the whole day with empty stomachs, not because they had no money, but because many areas had no restaurants and hotels.

It is of no complete hesitation that a large number of villages across the country lack gazetted public spaces to host different communal activities which therefore fancied presiding officers to opt for private individual’s compounds, roadsides, abandoned housing facilities and inaccessible places to organize the polling exercise, hence leaving room for a state of doubt in the results all across. For instance, in Kayunga town, a contestant’s home was used as a polling station and upon counting, the number of votes exceeded that of voters. Here residents claim that he used advantage of the fact that activities were carried out in his compound and therefore he rigged. The whole process felt frightening when residents in one of the villages in Wakiso blocked traffic flow due to the long cues that were made across the road.

Additionally, even to those that seemed to have organized public spaces, they were not equally distributed amongst communities and hence people moved longer distances to cast their votes. This could in one way or the other be a pretext for many not to involve in the former election. While urban planners distribute space for various land uses, there is a need to consider proximity and equity among residents, the presence of vulnerable groups and unexpected circumstances. The election story is fascinating, and a many fictional readers and members of the urban world will quickly become intrinsic to my story.

The open ground where I casted my vote from belonged to Mr. Kyaze, contestant who lost; I don’t know whether he will allow the residents to continue with using the space but that would be an understatement not to appreciate his endeavor to provide for his community. I took the largest part of the day observing all the cuddles that surrounded Kampala. Later in the day, when the voting was finalized, vote counting commenced as it approached nightfall. The night was a special kind of blackness, the kind that wants only to hold the stars and help them to shine all the brighter. It was a warm black that hugged you no matter what, and within its safety I could feel my own soul all the more clearly, that innocent inborn spark silently. Everyone waited softly for results to be pronounced. Presiding officers became busy ‘here and there’ as soldiers came closer to polling stations to secure officers, votes, and also to ensure peaceful counting.

At nightfall the city became completely empty, it looked strange too with maximum silence of the wilderness, all places including the roadsides and the public spaces where vote counting was staged were filled with darkness. I started to question my safety, our public spaces including the streets and open spaces are not naturally lighted, while some are locked in built up places with numerous obstacles like skyscrapers and large ancient trees, others are not open to the sky. Corridors also became a center of nightmares as streets turned into vandalism scenes. In the suburb where we felt safe before, places became frightening during the darkness. Presiding officers pulled out small touches and smartphones to those that had chance to access them so as to light up the places to continue with the process.

Generally, all forces responsible for urban development should reconsider ancient planning dimensions to cause room for sustainable urbanism, create open spaces and ensure street safety of all people through urban design. It is so absurd to be a physical planner remembered for no innovative project but woes. In the end, physical planning will be hailed, our reputation will be adored and our instinct will be felt in creating senses of places and therefore stop leaving like strangers in our communities. Once again, I thank you all for always following and request that you share this message to create a difference.

The writer is a physical planning trainee

Write your legacy today!

@city_planning_Media (CPM)

Ourcity-Ourlife

From the other side of the city...

LUBADDE RAHIM

PHYSICAL PLANNER

URBANISATION AND THE NEW CITIES(2019)

We shall debate about locusts and covid 19 later, there has been a burning issue in the parliament of Uganda amidst the global coronavirus tension. Parliamentarians need to understand the concept of urbanism in development. 

#USA had #10_mega_cities with a population of more than one million as at 2018. You may ask why compare a developed country with a developing country but the idea behind formulation of cities, municipalities and town councils is far beyond the political motives of the people who are involved in approving these urban centers: Provided Start up funds,  the workers of the new municipality should device means of accumulating their revenue in any manner. 

Therefore, we should stop saying we don’t have money to establish town areas yet they come with better advantages. 

There are five key points that City planning Uganda in its support for the new Urban areas, would wish to forward to its followers;

#Urbanization, Rural Urban Migration, Urban Sprawl; the more we have cities distributed around the country, the more we reduce the pressure in our capital (Kampala) – today Kampala accommodates a population of 1.8million people as residents but receives more than its night population on a daily basis for school, medical services, employment, shopping, leisure etc. In such a manner, we have also witnessed, graduates who deny going back to their home small towns to establish lives there, because Kampala is the only source of ‘gold’. Kampala boundary is no longer clear which is why leaders prefer calling it GKMA- because we have more people trying to find better lives in or on the outskirts of the capital. Many people would remain in their respective towns if made cities and municipalities, and the ever-longing challenges of Kampala like Congestion, poor housing, traffic, crime and delayed service delivery will be sorted in some way. 

#Employment_opportunities; In any case if the decision in not politically influenced by the largest political party in the parliament, then many families’ lives will be improved. From a carpenter who sells desks to municipal schools, beds to town-council health center and office furniture to engineers, surveyor, staticians, secretaries and political careers. Having various local government is another way through which governments across the globe have given out employment opportunities to people and for this to be a success, nepotism and tribalism should not be a driver in any case. We shall have reduced the number of people roaming with academic documents on Luwumu street and Kampala road looking for jobs. 

#Representation; in any manner people/citizens at the grassroot feel represented when given political representatives like councilors and Members of parliament. This is so controversial to the current politicians because they also feel that their areas of influence will be divided. But the good news from that is the populations still win with increased service delivery and national representation. 

#Development_advantages, believe me all areas that delayed to acquire urban statuses like municipal councils and town councils are incurring a high cost in terms of rectifying their development to create orderly and convenient areas. It is only urban areas that enforce section 3 of the physical planning act. We need the more municipals and town to ensure that physical development plans are prepared, implemented and enforce to cause order, we may fail to cope with the challenges if we delay. We shall have established task forces to fight for our natural resources either.

Increased_Revenue_collection, there are no revenues collected from village settings, we need more shopping malls (not in Kampala), more factories, etc. as facilities that increase the country’s revenue and grow the economy. 

#NB—Lets’ rethink on the manner through which we take our decisions, and also remind the National Physical Planning Board that the entire process of the establishment of new urban centers is its role and therefore it should work forth to support its claims rather than letting politicians to override them.

The writer is a physical planner 

"Lubadde Rahim"

THE TAXI PARKS IN KAMPALA

*Widen the discussion table - the old taxi park* 

By Rahim Lubadde

Debates to remove and or reduce the number of taxis and boda bodas from the city center, create more cities, municipalities and town councils within the country have formulated one of the fundamental discussion topics in relation to physical planning and urban development in the Ugandan Legislative Assembly/Parliament for the recent weeks in addition to the 10billion Saga and the torture of Hon. Zaake Francis. Nonetheless, there are more barren brains in Uganda than the efforts to unveil them. Their momentum has gone though they creak and thoughts still tumble as years pass. They are being boiled by the subsidizing heat from the unhuman self-proclaimed and creamy thinking fellows. Everyday querying themselves whether God forgot about Uganda but all debates have continuously led to the same conclusive cowardice. History will judge me from a selfless point of view- I have and continue doing my work of sensitizing through my literature. 

Much as our city and transport planners plot to revitalize the chocked nature of our urban transport; through strategizing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), fly overs, the urban green transport of cycling and walking., there are key aspects that need to be considered. They prove to be coming out from the social aspects of humanity and the natural rights that everyone living and working in the city owns. Not to bur from the topic, let me begin by cautioning whoever is responsible for Kampala City Transport Planning that “stakeholder consultations” are part and parcel of the initial stages of planning to seek acceptability from the natives and the politicians otherwise our plans will always remain resisted and on paper.  So, lets always embrace and respect people’s opinions. “… where political credibility is limited, overall social welfare falls and the benefits of public policy flow narrowly to the small group of citizens to whom rulers can make credible commitments’ (Keefer 2007: 2-4)

As a piece of reminder, we need to always begin with “what comes first” for instance we begin by establishment of the national transportation plans to regional to district to municipals to communities as the last stage. There is no any way we can begin from bottom to up in that regard because the former enlightens the later. For purposes of this article, there is a need for a #metropolitan_transportation_committee to emphasis on issues that affect the metropolis as a whole rather than a single segment of Kampala CBD.  While working on transport; we seek knowledge on three aspects of commuter zones, routes and destinations. Let’s not forget that people flowing into the city streets do not actually stay in within. Therefore, what makes us think that removing taxis will solve the traffic jam challenges in the city. I cant rule out the fact that *now* is the best time to regulate on who come back into the city but ‘may be’ we are not ready for the cause.  

As an Authority, KCCA needs to understand the cost of urban redevelopment and regeneration through taking gradual procedures. For instance; establish city exit terminals at the outskirts of the city to ensure that when the ‘introduced buses” set off from the CBD, there is a station where they leave the passengers and then they proceed out by taxi. These sub-terminals at the outskirts shall in the first place restore the “the falling out hearts” of urban taxi drivers, reduce the number of taxis through design with minimal resistance and provide an equivalence in job creation: i.e. if there is a transport terminal in places like Zana, Kawempe, Bulenga, etc. where people can easily change the mode, all taxi drivers would be directed to these places and there will be no or minimal resistance. Many times, it’s not about compliance or divergence for urban policies to work but also the component of equality must prevail for the betterment of everyone. The problem of the city transport system should be looked at a wider scale rather than the removal of the old taxi park. 

The more roads and services that are implanted within the city are responsible for the increasing level of travel destinations and hence more travel demand. Therefore, fear lies intrinsically within me that the billions of public funds coupled with the international loans from China that are being used to construct fly overs, multi/national offices and large commercial buildings will attract more people into the city and hence more traffic problems and yet the closure of the taxi business will stimulate hiking unemployment levels, vandalism, and fragility. At the end, KCCA shall have failed to deliver with policy incoherence and inadequate performance. Nonetheless, as the city ruling Authority, KCCA must develop and coordinate broader integration frameworks that are underpinned to urban planning, city-wide planning, and ensure the inclusion of marginalized groups and key stakeholders to encounter its transport trials. 

As a consequence, given an opportunity through my pen, let me pose a query to the Director of Physical Planning and the Head of the Engineering section of KCCA before a decision is undertaken that “How did the following terminals end up in the middle of the city and yet they transport people miles away from Kampala; i.e. Kisenyi Bus terminal and Link bus terminal(responsible for Chaos in Kisenyi), Arua park(responsible for Chaos along Bombo road ), Namayuba bus terminal(responsible for Chaos along sir Apollo Kaggwa road, Martin road and Gadaffi road ), Mash Poa terminal(responsible for Chaos in Kibuli), Old Kampala terminal (responsible for traffic along Namirembe road, sir Apollo Kaggwa etc.) Why would a passenger going to Fortportal or Kasese by bus pass through the city center to access a Link Bus?  This should also be worked on through relocating the bus terminals to further away from the CBD. Remember, am not here to rebel and or cause havoc to the works undertaken by KCCA during the crisis but to add directly to the ministerial works of the National Departments responsible for transport, housing, urban growth and development and also to sensitize the public about the value in urban planning and policies.

Finally, credit must be given to the road naming projects that ease orientation within the city, urban smart walkways along Namirembe road and Luwumu street, the CCTV camera security program, street lighting, urban green, the introduction of internet applications like safe boda, uber, Bolt, street maps, etc., the great city flyover under construction around clock tower and many other government projects that have been set to reduce traffic jam in the city center though all parties must understand that more than 80% of the people living and working in the city do not drive. 

The writer is a physical planner

lubadder@gmail.com 

 *city planning Uganda*

COMMUNITY ROLE

The community role.

By 

Lubadde Rahim 2018 (recap)

Government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth. Many have come, though indeed countless have been involuntarily set out. This should not be the lethargy of our generation. Ugandans will take little note on what we say today but they are all responsible for the partial work. All the upcoming slogans like, ‘government etuyambe’ are preliquizite for laziness and failure to coordinate our lifestyle.

It is rather for us to be here and dedicate ourselves to great tasks remaining from the honored deceased, they have all died throbbing and in agony. This is not about me or you but the continued struggle is for us as Ugandans. Like president Obama says, “Yes we can”. The mandate for urban and rural development lies in hands of neither schemers nor government but civilians are the universal stakeholders in the brawl. Whether you like it or not, am not here to lie but to express out what my heart presumes to be factual, call it the ugly truth.

Parsed and constructive it hails profound in me, the tragic, catastrophic and filth nature of the urban streets in Uganda is the pretext for the increasing ‘fabrication’ of new disease causing germs and perhaps vectors. Do we have planners? A question that many ask. Time and time again, basic errors have cropped out in the best streets and claims that Mbarara, Fortportal and Mbale are the cleanest towns in the state. Doubt though not driven directly to the assumption but miscalculations prevail.

Services offered by physical planners are not entirely discrete and personal, they are rather capabilities performed by people for the people. Whoever benefits include the communities. Every time my alarm goes am taken in tremor as anxiety engulfs my soul fathoming about driving on the ugly, dirty streets of Kampala though these days I have absolutely resorted to taking short cuts to moderate the time taken driving.

We are not speaking as students, or planners or citizens of this or that city but rather as part of the living humans whose existence is in complete doubt. We have to learn to think in a new way. We have to learn to ask ourselves, not what steps can be taken to give our environment victory to whatever group we prefer, for there no longer are such steps; the question we have to ask ourselves is: what steps can be taken to prevent the overwhelming devastating conditions. The general public, and even many men in positions of authority, have not realized what would be involved in the continued mass uncoordinated development. The general public still thinks in terms of the obliteration of the rural status rendering our land entirely urban.

Urbanization comes with a complete change of mindsets, but where has it left our communities? In complete devastated and isolated living places. The sense of belonging is dying out and our leaders are silent about it. People are killing one another only because of the lack of balance in the way of development. Our communities still need to play a great role in shaping and developing the places in which we live. A set of discipline that phased out from our ancient spirits. Public amenities are meant to support lives of all individuals in a given place including the strangers and their maintenance is a collective and social role of all people who stay there in such places.

Who cleans drainage channels? Who cleans roadsides? Who burns community rubbish? Who cleans public spaces like churches and mosques? Personalization and bragging is the main cause of poor sanitation in our societies. It is also related to modernity. Should we wait for government to rejuvenate such conditions? Is this about the physical planners?

No, it’s the drama of our mindsets. People only think of their compounds and perhaps private gardens and completely ignore what happens in places where they pass. When diseases such as cholera and Ebola come up, they start censuring the government. The day these naïve souls will discern that it’s not always about people in authority but the community inclusive, our societies will have the preeminent to harvest.

Additionally, confessions must be portrayed, why settle in wetlands, forests, and all other environmentally sensitive areas. Is this the physical planner’s role especially when flooding enhances? A case in point Bwaise, Katanga, Katwe, Ndeeba etc. Cooperate social responsibility should be the talk of every authority, the policy of status quo must stop. There is a need for a communal understanding of the prevailing mitigation measures and the precious role that individuals can play and indeed stop blaming authorities.

Many times people have constructed in road reserves, does this also need a planner to direct development in such situations, and growth should not be in our physical areas but rather in our minds.

In conclusion, a physical planner’s role is to coordinate development and basically enforce physical planning laws and regulations, but the overall implementation and monitoring of his work should be a role of us the natives of these communities. The more we sit back the more we are left behind. Uganda deserves the best because we have everything it takes to develop for example the resources inform of materials, human resource and perhaps capital that is miss-used by the corrupt ‘heads’ of our government officials.

It should be noted that there is a great link between physical planners and politics and this is the reason why they are imputed time to time for the less service delivery. But our planners also demand the finest because their risky decisions are felt directly by the citizens and any mistake done by a planner costs his people a lot.

Wake up Uganda, wake up my people, wake up planners, and wake up authorities!!

""The writer is a physical planner"'

City Planning Uganda!

!!!WORLD CLEAN-UP DAY!!

A CLEAN CITY IS OUR ROLE.!

By Physical Planner 

LUBADDE RAHIM

Today my forest is dark, the trees are sad and all the butterflies have broken wings. It has been the international cleanup day where many countries participated in city cleanups to recognize the day;

As usual, Kampala never waited the boat to capsize when I saw the mayor and the executive director in some form of activities geared towards the same. Other cities and urban councils across the nation where at rest. May be the respective  ICT officers never knew about the day.! 

Having it in mind that ensuring CLEAN & HEALTH cities is part of my roles as an upcoming planner, I slowly moved on the streets of Kampala this Saturday in broad day light.! I sum up my observations as NASTY.

Sewage flowing from large commercial and shopping malls down hill into poorer places of the urban vulnerable groups.. sewage moving freely with knowledge of the city authority.! sewage moving from the blocked and narrow sewer lines that were established during colonial days.! it is still a long journey..

 It took me much longer while looking at solid waste management, but again not contrary to the above! it was no shock.! The daily trend of people throwing plastic bottles in drainage channels, the bitter taste of watching someone throwing polythene through a window screen of a Mercedes or even a Prado V8. 

The mentality of backwardness still prevails..

Upon walking for so long, I became so much exhausted and got tired of pretending that am stronger: at that point, all I wanted was a resting place: 

Fellow Urbanists, all I wanted was an open space to sit and relax my mind, to kill the fatigue.. Oooh my God: the closest open ground was freedom square (at clock tower).. which is out of the public accessibility.. what kind of city is this with open spaces that are not accessed freely.! then I remembered when mentor told me the difference between "availability and accessibility."

The untold story of the prodigal son.! All of a sudden, it started drizzling with small drops of water, all arcade workers begun locking there respective shops running towards different directions.. I was left perplexed standing in the middle of dispersing masses, stranded like a villager who lost direction on his first trip to the city center.! I only wondered why people were running because of rain.! 

In a blink of an eye, many shops where locked and taxi parks were loaded instantly, all transport routes ran into jam.! the true character of an African town portrayed with immense unease.. The coming of rain marks the end of the day's activities to many in Kampala due to the fear of a flood wash.! 

NB: City planners, Health inspectors and engineers, we owe you better.! 

Let me not proceed to the pollution and the traffic flows I observed. City planners need to establish core solutions towards the increasing car usage in town and reducing distance through inducing taxes and encouraging mixed land uses.! 

There is a need to sensitize the masses about our objectives. 

like and share our page.! 

*Widen the discussion table - The old taxi park*

By Rahim Lubadde

Debates to remove and or reduce the number of taxis and boda bodas from the city center, create more cities, municipalities and town councils within the country have formulated one of the fundamental discussion topics in relation to physical planning and urban development in the Ugandan Legislative Assembly/Parliament for the recent weeks in addition to the 10billion Saga and the torture of Hon. Zaake Francis. Nonetheless, there are more barren brains in Uganda than the efforts to unveil them. Their momentum has gone though they creak and thoughts still tumble as years pass. They are being boiled by the subsidizing heat from the unhuman self-proclaimed and creamy thinking fellows. Everyday querying themselves whether God forgot about Uganda but all debates have continuously led to the same conclusive cowardice. History will judge me from a selfless point of view- I have and continue doing my work of sensitizing through my literature. 

Much as our city and transport planners plot to revitalize the chocked nature of our urban transport; through strategizing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), fly overs, the urban green transport of cycling and walking., there are key aspects that need to be considered. They prove to be coming out from the social aspects of humanity and the natural rights that everyone living and working in the city owns. Not to bur from the topic, let me begin by cautioning whoever is responsible for Kampala City Transport Planning that “stakeholder consultations” are part and parcel of the initial stages of planning to seek acceptability from the natives and the politicians otherwise our plans will always remain resisted and on paper.  So, lets always embrace and respect people’s opinions. “… where political credibility is limited, overall social welfare falls and the benefits of public policy flow narrowly to the small group of citizens to whom rulers can make credible commitments’ (Keefer 2007: 2-4)

As a piece of reminder, we need to always begin with “what comes first” for instance we begin by establishment of the national transportation plans to regional to district to municipals to communities as the last stage. There is no any way we can begin from bottom to up in that regard because the former enlightens the later. For purposes of this article, there is a need for a #metropolitan_transportation_committee to emphasis on issues that affect the metropolis as a whole rather than a single segment of Kampala CBD.  While working on transport; we seek knowledge on three aspects of commuter zones, routes and destinations. Let’s not forget that people flowing into the city streets do not actually stay in within. Therefore, what makes us think that removing taxis will solve the traffic jam challenges in the city. I cant rule out the fact that *now* is the best time to regulate on who come back into the city but ‘may be’ we are not ready for the cause.  

As an Authority, KCCA needs to understand the cost of urban redevelopment and regeneration through taking gradual procedures. For instance; establish city exit terminals at the outskirts of the city to ensure that when the ‘introduced buses” set off from the CBD, there is a station where they leave the passengers and then they proceed out by taxi. These sub-terminals at the outskirts shall in the first place restore the “the falling out hearts” of urban taxi drivers, reduce the number of taxis through design with minimal resistance and provide an equivalence in job creation: i.e. if there is a transport terminal in places like Zana, Kawempe, Bulenga, etc. where people can easily change the mode, all taxi drivers would be directed to these places and there will be no or minimal resistance. Many times, it’s not about compliance or divergence for urban policies to work but also the component of equality must prevail for the betterment of everyone. The problem of the city transport system should be looked at a wider scale rather than the removal of the old taxi park. 

The more roads and services that are implanted within the city are responsible for the increasing level of travel destinations and hence more travel demand. Therefore, fear lies intrinsically within me that the billions of public funds coupled with the international loans from China that are being used to construct fly overs, multi/national offices and large commercial buildings will attract more people into the city and hence more traffic problems and yet the closure of the taxi business will stimulate hiking unemployment levels, vandalism, and fragility. At the end, KCCA shall have failed to deliver with policy incoherence and inadequate performance. Nonetheless, as the city ruling Authority, KCCA must develop and coordinate broader integration frameworks that are underpinned to urban planning, city-wide planning, and ensure the inclusion of marginalized groups and key stakeholders to encounter its transport trials. 

As a consequence, given an opportunity through my pen, let me pose a query to the Director of Physical Planning and the Head of the Engineering section of KCCA before a decision is undertaken that “How did the following terminals end up in the middle of the city and yet they transport people miles away from Kampala; i.e. Kisenyi Bus terminal and Link bus terminal(responsible for Chaos in Kisenyi), Arua park(responsible for Chaos along Bombo road ), Namayuba bus terminal(responsible for Chaos along sir Apollo Kaggwa road, Martin road and Gadaffi road ), Mash Poa terminal(responsible for Chaos in Kibuli), Old Kampala terminal (responsible for traffic along Namirembe road, sir Apollo Kaggwa etc.) Why would a passenger going to Fortportal or Kasese by bus pass through the city center to access a Link Bus?  This should also be worked on through relocating the bus terminals to further away from the CBD. Remember, am not here to rebel and or cause havoc to the works undertaken by KCCA during the crisis but to add directly to the ministerial works of the National Departments responsible for transport, housing, urban growth and development and also to sensitize the public about the value in urban planning and policies.

Finally, credit must be given to the road naming projects that ease orientation within the city, urban smart walkways along Namirembe road and Luwumu street, the CCTV camera security program, street lighting, urban green, the introduction of internet applications like safe boda, uber, Bolt, street maps, etc., the great city flyover under construction around clock tower and many other government projects that have been set to reduce traffic jam in the city center though all parties must understand that more than 80% of the people living and working in the city do not drive. 

The writer is a physical planner

lubadder@gmail.com 

 *city planning Uganda*

COVID-19 CHALLENGES URBAN NATURE

Planning Ug

April 09, 2020

lubadder@gmail.com

Covid-19 challenges Urban Nature: (Kampala)

CUSTODIAN. We are the custodians of Planning Ug Facebook page, City Planning Uganda Blog and Urban Planners by profession. Our major focus is to bring up Physical Planning and Environmental concerns to Urban Authorities and the public especially those that have been neglected by the concerned parties. 

Author: Pln. Lubadde Rahim

Physical Planning Trainee

 As the world continues to live in the “Covid-Phobia cycle”, can we credibly appreciate nature? I believe that most of us here do not consider the daily misappropriations that humans deliberately play in disguise of attaining better lives and cities. When it’s all over, the world will never be the same, the urban system of living will change. This is not for you to accept, but to reference when that time comes. All 1st and 3rd world countries will formulate new urban paradigms that will prepare them for any future pandemic with vigorous sustainable urbanism being considered as a key aspect in urban planning and design. 

I write to contribute to environmental management in Uganda and dedicate this piece to Planner Nyakwebara Charles of Praid consultants and Planner Lukyamuzi Matia of Makindye Ssabagabo M/C. It is not out of antagonism that nature musters back to jiggle and giggle at us but rather due to the smallest urban components relating to sustainable development that have not been given a heed by urban authorities yet for the first time in human life 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Cities set different strategies to ensure that unbuilt areas develop fundamentally and sustainably but it is also significant to understand that many people around these cities care about the quality of life in their own context. Urban planners and environmental focal personales have to work extra harder for sustainable urbanism to thrive and to consider the human element for a proper understanding of how it affects the livability and nature of Ugandan towns. There is also a need to embrace innovative research to track their output and impact towards sustainability and livability in urban landscapes.

   The challenges affecting urban life are both simple and complex to comprehend ranging from the influx of individuals and families who have continued to confront cities in a search for livelihood to the destruction of urban green fields to establish human settlements. This has resulted into the destruction of habitants and biodiversity.

The outbreak of the virus is an opportunity for us to change.

   From old Urban dimensions, cities across the globe have been left crime ridden, car infested, polluted, unhealthy and overcrowded centers of humanity which have today seen them deserted as people vanish away from different catastrophes--Today’s talk is Covid-19. However, am not sure if urbanist will concede this assertion that ‘City dwellers feel that the quality of the environment that they have lived and worked in cannot hold their lives any longer which is why they have left cities back to their original rural roots’. 

   “Nature knows best...”, we shall never know when to get ready for a challenge, but let today be the start of something new. Today nature is “laughing” at us for the failures – though we can’t wait to ‘miss the mark’ any longer. It’s been enough enjoying now, let’s begin achieving through concentrating on green towns, social justice, reduced emissions, non-motorized transport systems, green energy and other sustainable hypotheses. 

   Ever since the state declared National emergency and many public realms were shut, Kampala looks more like a ghost town than a bustling conurbation with empty streets and fewer people outside due to the outbreak of covid-19. Life has taken a new form with schools, movements, bars, entertainment centers, restaurants, shopping mall and gatherings banned. Seeing people move from Kampala to Masaka, Fortportal, Kisoro, Jinja etc. is a prehistorical trend that coexisted during the missionary epoch. Let’s not just look. 

           How have we been relating to nature in our city? is there chance for improvement before things get out of our control? 

   There has not been motives for biodiversity in Kampala where urban greenery has been put down for establishment of buildings leading to an increase in flash floods, high levels of pollution from old cars and unplanned factories. Today Kampala lives at the mercy of nature; it’s not known whether it will evolve with changing times or the pandemic will erode its life and success. The widespread social distancing measures have produced some jarring effects on land, air and water and the whole sense of belonging coupled with the usual hum of public life have all perished. 

   We could destroy the Earth, but ‘he who laughs last, laughs best” nature has its own way of dealing; we have all bowed down, no fumes from factories, no noise pollution, no cars on roads, no trains on the rails and no ship on water. The whole place sounds quiet and soft. The only voices coming out are echoes and/or sirens of either police vans, ambulances and health practitioners—All other professionals look insignificant in this era. It is not about how much you studied, the energy you have, your wealth and status; today nature decided genuinely a lock down. 

To see that the world has a total “unbearable--positive” decline in the amounts of emissions into air, land and water. It is, we say, a strange spectacle, and the strangest part of it is that all the while, humanity has been a basis for judgment and decision making irrespective of the worst and wildly neglect of all forces that fight for the wellness of our urban natural forms with limited funding, corruption and human resource.

    Much as civilians roll unwillingly and reluctantly to vacate workplaces, move long distances back to the countryside, look at the country’s economy downsizing and witnessing the urban poor die of hunger in their squashed houses, the sub-sequential goodness of it all is that the environment is winning. Whenever we experienced a flood wash, landslides, decline in the water table, global warming and other naturally compelling catastrophes; they were triggers to remind us rethink on the direction of urban life that we had taken. 

   We are here today to observe how nature has wholesomely taken jurisdiction of its course to redirect and recommend its fortune. We cannot contradict the underlying facts that the world economic sphere has crashed and the ‘unseen environment is chanting in flowers.’ And by the time it’s all over, a lot will have transformed. The quality of air we breathe, the number of people on the street, different tree species will naturally have grown in different places, some parts of the city will be abandoned for urban forestry and primates will emanate back to the city rolling up and down town.

You have been talking about a strong and sustainable economy, how crucial is that in strengthening our relationship with the environment? 

   Here is a binary chance drawing nearer, nonetheless if we uncertainly move back to the city with the usual wide-ranging personality that lacks a natural context inbound, we are guaranteed to face perpetual clashes with the natural environment than ever before. A fortune to embrace all environmental projects that we have dreamt of before and to recreate our image as the pearl of Africa. 

What are the priority areas to begin with?

Green Belts, Non-Motorized Transport (NMT), Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Green energy plants etc. being the only traditions through which we can give back to the natural environment. A new mindset with insignificant human impacts on nature; sparing public open spaces, wetlands, forest reserves and reduction on machinery vibrations. 

To the urban authorities, here is the spot-on time for you to regulate who comes back to the city against who remains in the metropolitan. Debates on factories, land uses, pedestrians, taxis, matatus, boda-bodas, mini-buses, private vehicles, the location of their respective stages and their areas of operationalization should have begun ‘yesterday’. These have been drivers of urban sprawl with related larger distances between residences, jobs and other frequent daily trip destinations and greater intervention in a series of key environmental processes. We hope to see green urban transport and road pricing systems, minimum parking requirements in new developments as introduced smartly into the city. 

            What are some of the issues that can be worked on before we let people back to the city?

   As we prepare to flow in yet again, let there be remarkable long waves of urban reforms that will not only be positive to the natural environment but also promote aesthetics, mobility and health within the city. Let there be a gradual promotion in the daily urban challenges that urbanists have faced before; including proper waste management, drainage, noise and air pollution, reduction in vehicle and human traffic, and others. Let there be massive sensitization and call for participatory approaches towards the cause. Let it be a collective responsibility for all stakeholders to maintain a better city and finally let us use all our investments appropriately for a better Uganda since we have witnessed that no amounts of bullets, teargas, nuclear energy and machinery can overthrow nature if it decides. Let the depictions of this article be taken with more than a ‘grain of salt’ since natural features are laughing at man for believing that he owns the land. Nature laughs because it knows clearly that it owns us and therefore it knows best- we are only stewards of its creation.

Good-bye note:

   Nature is part of sustainable urbanism and without it as the base through which all sectors perform their mandate, we shall keep fighting with it – it will always win.

NB: According to the United Nations - 2030 agenda for sustainable development- Transforming our world: “we are reminded to be determined to protect the planet from degradation including through sustainable consumption and production  and sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent actions on climatic changes so that it can support the needs of the present and future generation.

NB: Despite the fact that nature is taking the precedent, Urban Planners, Engineers, Businessmen, Environmentalists, Surveyors and land managers are locked down in their posh houses that not even their cordial cars can move within the city. It has always cautioned us but it was so hard to comprehend. Nature in action.

“The writer is a Physical Planner” 

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Credit: Cheryl Dossey “The Earth Laughs in Flowers”

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