Effects of urban morphologicaltransformation on legibility of the city of Dar-es-salaam-Tanzania

Abstract

General concept of the study of effects of urban transformations on legibility of the city of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania is based on background of the works of Karimi, Alcock et al, Andrew Kelly, Nomico and Sanders, Lynch, Klasander, Lupala, Anyamba, Makachia and Moshi. This study was carried out in a period of one year. In this period the study explored, literature on urban transformations, legibility and on the relationship between the urban transformations and legibility. From this literature the study deduced the following; (i) Urban transformation and legibility studies, base on physical form of an urban setting (ii) Urban morphology study is an appropriate approach to studying and analyzing urban transformations that may affect legibility of a setting (iii) Legibility of an urban setting, depends much on the qualities embodied in its five elements of image, which get lost whenever the setting undergoes transformation. Further the study employed a case study method in Kariakoo area in Dar es Salaam. The main findings are (i) Kariakoo urban setting is made up of all elements of image. (ii) the elements of image of this area, undergo transformations. (iii) the qualities of the elements of image of Kariakoo are eroded thereby changing the state of its legibility