Piece by Piece

The growth of informal settlements especially in third world countries has become a problem on a global scale. In Asia and Africa, although under different circumstances, the fastest urbanization takes place. To find a good way on how to include the poor city migraters into the growing cities will be crucial in order to have more sustainable, peaceful and just societies. My focus lays on the semi-independent island state of Zanzibar which is one of the poorest regions in Africa. A touristic paradise on first sight it faces many problems like poor economy, lack of infrastructure and heavy floods in the city. In the midst of all this the continuous growth of the population makes the resources scarcer and the pressure on the city to provide living space, infrastructure and jobs is rising. With a new Masterplan for the city (Zanplan 2035) the government wants to step forward and tackle the problems. In order to direct the future development of the city in the right direction the growth has to be formalized. My goal is to develop an approach which helps going from an informal growth of the city to a formal development which supports the citizens in their everyday life: From informal to formal. The approach will result in an urban design project on a specific site. The site – Kisauni - now at the edge of the growing city, is currently growing informally. Through visiting the site, talking to people and interviewing some of the stakeholders more in depth knowledge has been gained. Four major challenges are highlighted: Climate Change, lack of infrastructure, lack of resources/ waste management and poverty. For each of the challenges a solution is provided: Climate Change Adaption, Service Streets, Recycle Economy, and Affordable Housing. In the sum the solutions result in a sustainable urban design for Kisaun