Sustainability of Different Residential Density Neighborhoods in Nairobi City County, Kenya
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Date
2025-03
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Sustainability is an important element in the planning of cities and urban areas, but it has received less attention in the neighborhood. The rapid growth of Nairobi city has led to poor infrastructure, environmental challenges, and overcrowding, which has affected the sustainability of neighborhoods. This study, therefore, seeks to assess the level of sustainability of three different residential neighborhoods in Nairobi - Buruburu, Zimmerman, and Garden estate that is, medium, high, and low-density, respectively. The objectives of the study were to (a) examine the adequacy of facilities, (b) assess environmental, social, and economic sustainability, and (c) assess factors that influence residential sustainability preference of Buruburu, Zimmerman, and Garden residential neighborhoods. Data for this study was obtained from questionnaires, checklists, interview schedules, Registry Index Maps, and multispectral images. Purposive sampling was used in key informant interviews, and simple and systematic random sampling was used in the administration of 267 questionnaires to households. The checklist was used in mapping out the location of facilities and types of business. Data was analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and regression using Statistical Package for Social Science Software Version 22. The results for adequacy of facilities show that most of the facilities in Garden estate were adequate, while in Buruburu and Zimmerman estates, the facilities were inadequate due to increased population, land grabbing, and informality. Facilities in Buruburu and Zimmerman were accessible, while not all facilities were accessible in Garden Estate. Accessibility to facilities varies across the neighbourhoods, with Zimmerman’s facilities distances ranging from 81m to 872m, Garden Estate from 225m to 1,438m, and Buruburu from 57m to 774m. Mobility patterns also differ across the estates, with most Buruburu residents 86% and Zimmerman residents 79% walking to access facilities, while the use of private cars is dominant in Garden Estate at 74%. The research also assessed the three estates' social, environmental, and economic sustainability. Findings indicate that Buruburu exhibited the highest level of social sustainability (5), followed by Zimmerman (4) and Garden Estate (3). Economically, Zimmerman ranked highest (5), while Buruburu (3) and Garden Estate (1) lagged. Both Buruburu and Zimmerman demonstrated medium environmental sustainability (3), whereas Garden Estate had the lowest level (2). The overall sustainability levels of the three estates were 4, 2, and 3 for Buruburu, Garden, and Zimmerman estates, which indicate their sustainability as medium-high, medium-low, and medium, respectively. Residents in Garden estate prefer living near work to forego transport costs, while residents in Zimmerman estate are likely to commute to the workplace. Safety and security, as well as open spaces and facilities, are some factors residents most prefer in a neighborhood. Factors that affect residential preference are density, income, house ownership, age, education level, and household size. Kenya lacks adequate accessibility standards for the provision of facilities within a neighborhood. Therefore, there is a need to establish planning standards to ensure the provision of facilities is accessible to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood. Assessing the sustainability of neighborhoods shows that each neighborhood density has its strengths and weaknesses across sustainability criteria and indicators, which calls for striking a delicate balance between them to maximize the strengths of the area while addressing the weaknesses to enhance the overall sustainability.
Description
A Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfilment for the Requirement for the Degree of Master of Environmental Planning and Management in the School of Engineering and Architecture of Kenyatta University, March, 2025
Supervisor:
1.Peter Wangai