Impact of a Road Project on Land Use: a Case Study of Ngong Road Corridor in Nairobi

Abstract

Several studies have been done on the “egg-hen” relationship between transportation and land use. It is considered a egg-hen relationship because several scholars have differed on what comes first. Some argue that it is land use that comes first while to others transportation is the driving force for land use. Nevertheless, transportation is a cascading phenomenon in its relationship with land use whereby one event triggers a sequence of secondary events or spontaneous developments. Being an important parameter in any urban area, management of transportation system should be a major focus for any urban manager for it is through free movement of people, goods and services that cities thrive and act as engines of development in any country. Because of its cascading nature, transportation must be considered as a dynamic system. This therefore implies no development in transportation should be viewed in isolation but its impact on the functioning of the system. Due to the high density of transport networks within urban areas, the cascading phenomenon is even more spontaneous within such agglomerations and always result in negative consequences. This therefore implies that urban authorities must have transport departments that can be responsive to the dynamics to ensure that new developments do not create crises but integrate with the system. Expansion of an urban corridor like Ngong Road always bring a sigh of relief to the people served by it and those who live within the neighbourhood and those in the sub-urban nodes that it serves. However, such upgrades only results into temporary solution to the transport crisis along the corridors before the situation deteriorates and may even worsen in comparison to what previously existed. This is because the upgrade triggers a series of land use changes that in return affects the functionality of the corridors. This research was thus focused at examining the effect of Ngong Road upgrading on land use with a view to ensuring that the quality of service of the corridor with regard to the transport utility that it offers is maintained at optimum levels. The research explores the influence of the upgrade on the neighbourhood land use changes and assesses the developing land use patterns as precipitated by the upgrade. The major goals of the research were to determine the urban land use change patterns and their link to the urban transportation system and to investigate the issues that emerge out of the upgrade of Ngong Road. The research technique adopted is survey that aided in the delimitation of the study region and relied on both primary and secondary data gathered via questionnaires, informal interviews alongside direct participant observation and field photography of key characteristics. For data gathering, the research depended on secondary information while the main data was acquired by procedures such as questionnaire administration, informal interviews alongside direct participant observation and field photography of significant aspects. The spatial frame for the study was defined by the area sandwiched between the intersection of Valley Road and Argwings Kodhek Road, City Mortuary Roundabout, Ngong Road up to Ring Road Kilimani then Southwards up to intersection of Joseph Kangethe Road, Ole Dume Road and looping back to start point through Argwings Kodhek Road. The scope of the variables looked at in terms of infrastructure were v transportation characteristics of Ngong Road and its neighbourhood, the design parameters for the road especially the level of service and the land use changes from inception to completion of project. The land use changes evaluated in the study are those that define housing typologies, plot ratios and plot coverage and the applicable zoning ordinances. The study relied on sample size of 400 respondents divided equally among households and road users. Among the findings of the study included the revelation that at the end of the design life for the road which was the year 2020, the level of service would deteriorate to irregular traffic flow or congestion implying that another intervention should needed to be introduced to maintain it to stable vehicular flow. However, this coincided with the time the project was completed. The study also disclosed that there is poor enforcement of development control in Kilimani Area with minimal compliance to regulations on plot ratios and ground coverages. Highrise residential apartments constitute the dominant housing typology in the area followed closely by multiple dwelling units and office blocks. Subsequently, there is rapid densification of the area without any corresponding expansion of infrastructure. The study also found out that there was little understanding among citizens on the relationship between transportation and land use with most people viewing the upgrade of the corridor as the panacea to the transportation challenges within the neighbourhood. The study acknowledges the importance of constant monitoring and evaluation of urban mobility with timely interventions, strengthening of development control, embracing of public-private partnership in infrastructure provision and focusing more on transport demand management rather than supply management. The study concludes that for sustainable integration of transportation and land use in a neighbourhood like Kilimani, a traffic demand management policy should be pursued as a national goal with clear definition of which institution ensures that the infrastructure mix provided is adequate to meet the needs.