| dc.description.abstract | The expansion of urban areas into the
countryside and, therefore, consequent
consumption of rich agricultural hinterlands
is an issue that is more and more beginning to
attract the attention of physical planners as
well as that of other private and public bodies.
This indicates an awareness of the grave danger
posed by urban expansion and sprawl onto
agricultural areas that pz-ovi.de the urban cores
with, among other things, food and, in particular
market-gardening products which, due to their
perishable nature, are most appropriately grown
in the immediate sorroundings of the city.
Physical planning is concerned with the
issue of urban expansion as it has been noted
that the physical boundaries delineatin5 the
extent of the urban areas do not effectively
aid in controlling the physical expansion of
these same urban areas. This thesis is an
attempt to explore the possible Causes and f act ors
responsible for urban expansion as well as possible
courses of action that can be taken in order to
contain urban sprawl. In doing this, the
author selected to look at the changing patterns
of land use within a rural, administrative
division vi z, Kikuyu, whi.ch is contiguous to a
fast growing metropolitan area viz. Nairobi city.
It is recognised that land use, including
the development of roads in the division, is
greatly affected by programmes, strategies and
policies pursued and adopted by the Nairobi
metropolitan area. The location of various
activities and facilities within Nairobi is
definately bound to have impacts and repurcussions
on the sorrounding hinterlands. Hence an
understanding of the process of urban growth is
necessary if only for purposes of identifying
the initiators of that growth as well as the
possible actions to be effected within the urbanrural
areas to prevent mass consumption of fertile
and valuable agricultural enclaves. In fact the
author takes the stand that there must be
positive governmental and local authority guidelines
and policies on the developments that can be carried out in areas sorrounding the city. This is inperative if the problen posed by a dynamic, expanding urban core onto rich
agricultural hinterlands is to be contained.
In chapter 1 the area of study, and the
significance of the problem of Nairobi's
expansion into the countryside, and in particular
to Kikuyu division is considered. It is noted
that the whole country has got only a limited
amount of good agricultural land. It follows
that if part of this agricultural area is
situated within Kikuyu division, then there is
an ,imperative duty to preferentially preserve
this fertile area.
Chapter 11 considers the possible factors
responsible for accelerating the urban sprawl
and the problems encountered. The chapter goes
further and lays down a demand model for site
locations in the peripheral areas of the city of
Nairobi, with particular reference to Kikuyu
division. In doing this, the chapter reviews
past literature oh the problems of urban sprawl
and at t ermt s to control it in different parts
of the world •
In chapter III an analysis of land uses within the divisionis considered. Agricultural use is found to be the largest user of land within Kikuyu division, taking will over 76% of the total land use. However, urban-oriented
forms of development are found to be putting up
stiff competition against the agricultural user.
In order to decrease this competition, thereby
increasing incomes and volume of production to farmers
and at the same time leaving the division primarily
an agricultural enclave, intensification of marketgardening
activities in the division is proposed.Such intensified market-gardening is expected to raise land values in the division and therefore effectively reduce the demand for land in the area.
Chapter IV examines the impact of the new
Dagoretti-Ndenderu road. It attempts to indicate
how road development, is a particularly good
initiator of economic growth and development,
can make the division more attractive for urban
development. Thus improved accessibility to
areas sorrounding the city must be critically
analysed if urban sprawl is not to be speeded
up because of inefficient misallocation of
resources.
The last chapter considers a number of '
alternative solutions to be taken in the
division in order to make it remain primarily
agricultural. It has gone further and summarised
the principal findings. | |
