Make decaying urban spaces vibrant commons for business

Garbage on the banks of Mathare River in Mathare slums, Nairobi,  on November 21, 2024. [Kanyiri Wahito Standard]

Cities are living spaces constantly evolving to meet the needs of inhabitants. Fluctuations in the economy together with other social dynamics often leave parts of the cities decrepit or abandoned. In the industrial zones of cities, decaying factories, badly polluted sites or abandoned yards and warehouses often mark gone by eras. Even in the lived spaces; old buildings past renovation, dark alleyways and areas abandoned to crime and drugs haunt the existence of communities. In many cities the solution has been for the upwardly mobile to escape to gated communities where all aspects of life are governed.

For the working class and middle class, urban decay often spells doom. Falling property prices in their areas means lost opportunity for business, poor security and creeping social vices. Working class neighbourhoods are especially prone to this type of decay. In the Kenyan experience large areas of Nairobi’s Eastlands which in days gone by was home to many of our independence icons have degraded and depreciated. In Mombasa, parts of Shimanzi, Makupa, Makande and Tudor have joined the squalor as shifts in the economy occur.

The decay of infrastructure associated with the old metre-gauge railway has had a telling impact on working class areas. From a behemoth employing over 20,000 workers, Kenya Railways has wilted leaving behind many decaying spaces in parts of Nairobi’s Eastlands and Mombasa’s West.

While many efforts to revamp decaying areas focus on attracting new investment in previously vibrant sectors, it is often not possible to breathe new life into moribund plants. Focus should shift from sentimental desire to revive the past towards recreating new vibrancy in the decaying communities. Likewise, while it may be desirable to do away with slums altogether it is also practical to revive and revamp them through creative regeneration.

Drab environments can be brought to life by simple initiatives like artwork on perimeter walls instead of angry or vulgar graffiti. Small community gardens and rest areas can inject an air of wellness into the monotony of urban living. A winding path or alley can be upgraded into a comfortable walkway. Often the injection of colour can have an uplifting effect on the outdoors. Painting footbridges, barriers or even using alternating coloured slabs and cabro tiles creates a more lively environment at a minimal additional cost.

It is also noteworthy that these simple improvements help alert residents about issues like car pollution or poor hygiene standards. Improved spaces quickly show the effects of car pollution or poor hygiene through smoke stains or general dirt. This means creating work for youth to clean and maintain but also highlight the need to improve pollution monitoring.

Innovative use of lighting, including solar powered LED lighting can also beautify neighbourhoods. This entails some creativity in light colour selection. It could also mean involving the public in the design of amenities and improvements in their neighbourhoods to give each area a unique and distinct feel. By building spacious well-lit walkways and other beautified areas, we also subtly encourage more people to walk. This is not only good for the individual’s health but multiplies safety by ensuring more people are on the street for longer. Even as 24-hour economies remain a dream in many areas, creatively built cities stand a better chance to evolve into vibrant centres working through the night.

Key to the successful operation of our re-imagined cities is an interwoven security architecture that lives in the community. This requires integrating the community with the security interventions of the State. While initiatives like Nyumba Kumi address this, we must make them integral in the operation of the security system. The national administration system has successfully integrated the Nyumba Kumi system in its operations. However, the National Police Service largely operates in isolation with only a sporadic presence in poor areas. Reimagining our cities requires the reimagining of police services too with community policing a strong arm of operations.

Disused warehouses, parking lots and quarries can also be developed into youth-friendly areas. This means reducing the spaces often occupied by criminals for undesirable activities including drugs dens or as hideouts. In the development of vocational centres for youth, focus has always been on building school or college-like facilities. However, not all vocational skills require a formal classroom to learn.

Many of our mechanics learn their trade as apprentices in roadside garages. Conversion of disused spaces into garages or workshops for vocational training is a plan. Handiwork, art or even cookery could easily be taught in an old warehouse. The millions spent on building vocational centres could be spent leasing, redeveloping and improving disused areas within the reach of the community.

In essence reimagining the development of our cities and towns means investing in our communities. It means adding value to what already exists as far as possible to make our cities livable and vibrant.