| dc.description.abstract | This thesis raises questions on the impacts of informal businesses on existing planned land uses specifically residential neighbourhoods. The resilience of informality in Kenya and their heterogeneity has been creeping up in the planned residential neighbourhoods in the 2000s. As noted in most literature, the rapid urbanisation in Africa and Kenya is not being accompanied by adequate economic growth. As a result the informal sector has been on the forefront of absorbing both the skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labour. However, as much as informal sector has been contributing positively to livelihood enhancement, their spatial impact on residential neighbourhood has not been clearly ascertained. Specific to Buruburu estate, the study cross-examines the character of the informal businesses, their location and the planning implication on the road users, residents and formal businesses in the area. The study concentrates on the survivalist and primary informalities out of the four categories brought forth by Diverse Informalities (Anyamba, 2006). The study uses case study approach documenting the existing informal business as is along Mumias South Road using both primary and secondary data sources. The study outlines the factors leading to growth of informal businesses along the study corridor, their positive and detrimental effects, their unique way of space utilization, the views of the residents, commuters and informal business operators themselves coming up with solutions on how best to integrate them into the formal economy. Through analysis of various case studies of informal street vending across the globe and analysis of Kenyan response to policies and urban laws, the study identifies weak urban governance, legal exclusion of informal businesses, weak policy frameworks, inefficiency of development institutions and urban planning as well as the informal sector itself as the major hindrances to the growth or integration of the informal businesses. The policy and design recommendation are therefore aimed at effective frameworks that recognizes the spatial dimension of informal businesses and provides guidelines that controls their operation improving their quality of service and goods delivery thus enhancing their local and regional competitiveness thus ensuring sustainable employment and wealth generation while ameliorating the externalities of the sector. The study proposes integration of the informal businesses into the urban land uses during design stages by the urban designers
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and planners and through consultative forums with all the urban stakeholders whose interests are impacted on with the presence or absence of the informal businesses.
Key words: Urbanity, Informality, Spatial, Heterogeneous, Rights | en_US |
