Category: Projects

Kajjansi is a town in Wakiso District and nowadays integrated into the greater Kampala Metropolitan area, in Uganda. The Kajjansi area was always known for its market along the main connecting road from Kampala to Entebbe. It is now no longer only about the market since currently a junction is being built at Kajjansi, connecting Entebbe-Kampala Road to the Southern Bypass and the new Entebbe Expressway. Combine this with the planned Bus Rapid Transport System terminating at this place and one will see this creates a major change, challenges and opportunities for the area.

During the week of 3-7 October several co-creation sessions and a concluding strategy session with governmental partners, local authorities and stakeholders, DASUDA, TwentyOne and ULGA have defined together a strategy for the future development of Kajjansi Junction while maintaining the local quality, considering the three main aspects of mobility, urban development and inclusive business.

The Kajjansi Junction has been analysed as part of a mobility network connecting Kampala and Entebbe. In this network, Entebbe Road can become an urban boulevard with public space, pedestrian friendly areas, accessible street front because the new Entebbe Expressway is going to be opened soon, opening up space at the Kajjansi area. This can also be transformed to integrate a public transport system into the street section in the future. Nevertheless in the current situation the Kajjansi market at Entebbe road is under pressure due to the construction of the new bypass and risks to become inaccessible, disconnected and bypassed. The strategy for the urban development of this area should create an added value that will lead to an addition to area-budget, cross subsidy solutions and sustainable and social development of an integral city node.

At the end of the week all the stakeholders were invited to endorse the strategy for Kajjansi Junction area development and to take responsibility for the next steps.

Large parts of Kenya face rapid urbanization. Counties are now responsible for spatial planning, since devolution gave them the power and obligation to take care of the physical aspects of their piece of Kenya.

DASUDA worked in collaboration with RVO and Rebel Group in a second workshop series of the RAIN project on urban planning principles in the county of Kiambu and the county of Uasin Gishu. Focusing on data validation, mapping and Geo Information System use and the advantages of a coherent information system and being able to combine various layers of information on topographical maps.

Key element of the DASUDA approach is the interdisciplinary setting of the work team in an early stage. We were very fond of the fact that although the RAIN concept and strategy phase still has to commence, the local teams were already participating with spatial planners, economists, trade experts and responsible officers for agriculture, environment and roads en works.

The parallel program of our economist team to have an on-ground soft market testing with companies throughout the county added the findings on challenges and qualities from a business perspective. This effort made it possible to review the available data and link the dots between sectoral information and business experience and created a comprehensive integral insight .

We are looking forward to the next phases to achieve an urban planning context that secures a spot on investment in agro-industrial business environment .

Although parts of Kenya have seen enough rain in the past period the start of the RAIN project was welcomed by many of the County governments of Uasin Gishu and Kiambu, the two counties partnering with the Dutch Government and DASUDA in this project. The RAIN project is an abbreviation of Regional Agro Industrial Networks and focuses on How planning can be beneficial to leverage economic development in the relation between rural agriculture and urban industries. RAIN is not only looking at the high scale levels, but has a specific objective to work through the various scales to showcase the concrete outcome of a tangible project. This can be for instance a consolidation centre where raw materials from the region are being delivered, stored, processed, packed and shipped from. The exact business case will be derived from the planning process, the potentials in the region and the demand of local parties and interest by investors from Kenya and beyond. In the first stage workshop in November the two year program was started in each County in mutual collaboration between the Kenyan and Dutch partners by spending a day talking through process, objectives, available data and knowledge and a second day visiting various location of interest in the County. The demonstrated passion of our partners enthuse us to make planning a driving force in economic prosperity in these places.

DASUDA and RVO / DLG have initiated the Government to Government project RAIN in Kenya. RAIN is the acronym Regional Agro Industrial Networks and focus on integral approach in which the spatial planning tools can be deployed to strengthen the development of economic potential. The project links the reinforcement, scale and value chain of agricultural based industries in an rapidly urbanising context. With support of the Dutch Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economic Affairs an inception mission was prepared and held in June 2015 to select the local partners. The core team travelled to the Counties of Nakuru, Kiambu, Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu to meet the governors, talk to the team of ministers and have a workshop on the R.A.I.N. concept with County executives. Site visits to have an impression of the current situation and meetings with the local chambers of commerce completed the tour. The project plan will be developed during mid 2015 and the projects starts in two selected counties from September 2015 till end of 2017.

Lagos originated at the Lagoon and developed rapidly around its water edges. This caused lots of challenges, but maybe even more opportunities. If we look at it from that perspective the lagoon is Lagos’ safe belt, battery, feeding ground, connection and attraction.
A group of Nigerian and Dutch experts have started to work together on the big themes of Water, Housing, and Mobility and all in relation and connection with the meaning of the Lagoon for an explosive growing city.
During the inception week which took place in Lagos last March it came clear that those three main topics should be part of any project location subject of the Lagos Lab 2015. Sub-themes within this among others are the relation between heritage and the water, spatial economic development in relation to the protection of the lagoon, accommodation of local economies and systems, etc.
The workshops, hosted at the Federal Palace the 22nd and the 23rd of June, were the testing ground for our ideas. Together with local professionals we defined the long term objectives and project and the short term first stage for a feasible and implementable project.
Coming months the Lagos Lab team will continue to collectively work on first actions to take into first step towards implementation to reach the long term vision of the Lagos Lagoon City: the realization of the Lagos Lagoon Centre pavilion before construction of a ring dike structure.
DASUDA organized a seminar in the morning of Thursday 25th of June at the Federal Palace for sharing the first workshop results and debate with the audience, identify stakeholders, possible shareholders and partners.
Starting point for the seminar was the vision that the Lagoon is the source of Lagos and can become the vibrant heart of a 21st century worldwide renowned metropolis. Visionary perspectives have been presented in a concrete manner with awareness of the current state of the city and with implementation driven tools and approaches.
The seminar was an important step in the Lagos Lab 2015 process towards the final outcome in September/ October.

DASUDA sincerely thanks all workshop participants and seminar attendees.