| dc.description.abstract | The land around Nakuru town is coming under pressure for
urban development. "Much of the urban expansion has taken place on
environmentally sensitive areas. I The purpose of this study was to
assess the physical land and related resources in order to determine
urban land use strategies for directing future growth to the most
appropriate, ' places. Data was compiled from field surveys,
interpretation of aerial photography, existing reports and maps. From
these inventories, the area was divided into 11 uniform land units in
. which opportunities and constraints for urban development were
identified. Lind suitability classification for general urbanization was
based on: slope, soil depth, existing soil erosion, surface stones, agroecological
potential, land subsidence hazards, sensitivity of the
watershed, density of surface drainage channels and depth to ground
water.
Suitability asses~ment indicated that 54 per cent of the region
is unsuitable for urbanization. The remaining land is only marginally
or moderately suitable. The most limiting physical land factors
include: unstable soils, land subsidence hazards, sensitive watershed
\
and ground water- recharge areas and conflicts with wildlife
conservation. Results are compared to the current land use pattems
and trends and aspirations of the local people to derive land use
planning guidelines for the region suggestions are made for strategies
to implement rational land use planning in order t? maintain a balance
between urban development and environmental conservation. The
study concludes that land suitability evaluation has important role to
play in urban land use planning process but required further research | en |
