Formal City Transformation to an Informal City; A Housing Perspective: The Case of Nairobi City

Abstract

The paper aims at explaining the decay of formal neighbourhoods into informal ones through a qualitative study done by archival survey, observation of affected housing settlements and interviews of selected key participants. The selected neighbourhoods in Nairobi are used as a case study. This phenomenon poses serious dysfunctional threats to the affected neighbourhoods some of which the Kenyan government aims at improving in Nairobi city. The findings raise understanding of the 'chemistry' of the decay, and should considerably aid policy makers, development control authorities, professional institutions and resident associations to imaginatively shape the urban cities towards Kenya Vision 2030