yamindinda
JF-Expert Member
- Jul 29, 2011
- 1,581
- 1,318
Dar es Salaam. In 100 years, Dar es Salaam will be the world’s third largest city with a population of 73.7 million, according to the World Economic Forum.
A study originally conducted by the Global Cities Institute lists Tanzania’s commercial capital behind Nigeria’s Lagos, which is tipped to be the largest (88.3 million people) and DR Congo’s Kinshasa, which comes second with 83.5 million.
The anticipated exponential growth of African cities is due to the high birth rates that is expected to continue even as those in other continents decline.
Lower infant mortality and improved life expectancy would also see Africa’s population double to 2 billion by 2050 and to 4 billion by 2100.
Analysts say the growth of Dar es Salaam into a global megapolis is a potential time bomb, unless there are concrete plans to overhaul the city’s infrastructure and improve food production.
There will also be a need to ensure that there is adequate investments in proper city planning if the city is to escape the high risks of epidemics.
Granted, the challenge of inadequate planning is still as real as ever taking into consideration the fact that about 70 per cent of the city’s settlements lie in unplanned areas.
The last time Dar es Salaam was planned was in 1979. That master plan was aimed to last until 1999.
Preparing Dar for a global status
The issue of planning has finally come to the attention of city fathers. On July 27 this year the minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Mr William Lukuvi, launched the first draft of the Dar es Salaam City Master Plan for 2016-2036. After the launch of the draft, a stakeholders meeting was convened to kick start collection of views on the 20-year draft.
“This new plan took longer than it should have to get completed because we want it to take into account current and future needs of Dar es Salaam,” Mr Lukuvi said.
“Crafting the plan started in 2012 and was supposed to end in the same year but due to administrative challenges it failed, now here we are,” he added.
The cost of inadequate planning
The fact that most of the Dar es Salaam City is built on unsurveyed land comes out as one of the main challenges in crafting the new plan. Implementing the master plan would also, and inevitably, involve widespread demolitions. In fact demolition has been a common feature whenever big road infrastructure projects are about to be implemented. But Mr Lukuvi says fear of demolitions should not be overblown.
“The demolitions will not be an immediate action. When it finally comes it will be done through negotiations. The first step is to ensure that all land in the city is surveyed,” said Mr Lukuvi.
Surveying the land will ensure landowners get adequate compensation in case their areas were earmarked for public use as provided for in the new master plan. “Again, no structure will be marked for demolition unless consultations and negotiations have been conducted,” Mr Lukuvi added.
To reduce the risk of too much demolitions, the final draft of the master plan would be completed only after wide-ranging consultations have been done with stakeholders.
“We want the final master plan to be a product of consultations from as many stakeholders as possible. This will increase ownership, reduce complaints and ensure maximum cooperation during its implementation stage,” Mr Lukuvi noted.
One of the main objectives of the master plan is to add more value to land ownership in the city.
City land is almost full and there is practically no space within the city for further construction with vertical construction remaining as the major alternative.
An essential part of the plan, according to city fathers, is to facilitate title deed holding for apartments that would be equal in value with deeds given for houses attached directly to the ground.
For that to happen, landlords in many parts of Dar es Salaam would be required to build or transform their houses into high rise buildings.
“This would give an opportunity to the young people who like to live in the city own homes that would be in a form of apartments,” he said.
It will also be a source of income to landlords through the selling of apartments.
Another objective of the new master plan is to reduce land conflicts in Dar es Salaam city that have overwhelmed the courts.
Pressure for housing as a result of high birth rates and the ever-increasing rural-urban migration as well as inadequate land survey programmes have resulted in many land conflicts.
Facilitating private investments
Dar es Salaam is the national economic capital with a population of over 4.3 million and is expected to grow to over 5 million in the coming three years. This provides a good market for businesses.
As expected, the DCMP 2016-2036 would create more industrial areas and business parks. The plan also envisages creating business centres and satellite cities to ease movement of people and goods.
“We plan to make the city more livable and more attractive to businesses. We want to create space for large city malls, markets, cultural and civic centres, health and social facilities,” said Mr Lukuvi.
Kawe MP Halima Mdee (Chadema) is of the view that the nametag of the master plan is misleading.
“We are in 2018 and this plan will eventually start in 2019 if everything goes as planned. If that is the case why do we call it a 2016-2036 master plan? We are in 2018 mind you!” she observed.
And Dar es Salaam Regional Sheikh Alhad Mussa Salum also had a word to share on the consideration of the worshiping houses in the city.
“I have listened to the presentations but I have not heard about specific areas allocated for construction of houses of worship. To build a functional city such areas are crucial,” he noted.
Master plan to be people-centred
After the collection of stakeholders’ views a public hearing for the master plan will be conducted. After all the views are incorporated, the minister responsible will assent to it.
“All the views and opinions of stakeholders and the public in general will be taken into consideration and incorporated to the final draft,” the Dar es Salaam City Executive Director, Ms Sipora Liana told The Citizen in an interview.
The stakeholders group is drawn from civic leaders, clerics, MPs and others.
For his part, Dar es Salaam City Mayor Isaya Mwita (Chadema) said that the public had an important role to play in the creation of the master plan through public hearing.
“The process of collecting public views is by law called ‘public hearing’. I urge Dar es Salaam residents to come out in droves to air their views. Experts don’t plan the city, the public does. We might make suggestions in the master plan but it is the people who know what they need and they might, therefore, have better ideas,” said the mayor.
He added: “The DCMP will be presented to the public through local authorities. All suggestions will be taken into the consideration,” he added.
What’s in store for Dar as the next global metropolis
A study originally conducted by the Global Cities Institute lists Tanzania’s commercial capital behind Nigeria’s Lagos, which is tipped to be the largest (88.3 million people) and DR Congo’s Kinshasa, which comes second with 83.5 million.
The anticipated exponential growth of African cities is due to the high birth rates that is expected to continue even as those in other continents decline.
Lower infant mortality and improved life expectancy would also see Africa’s population double to 2 billion by 2050 and to 4 billion by 2100.
Analysts say the growth of Dar es Salaam into a global megapolis is a potential time bomb, unless there are concrete plans to overhaul the city’s infrastructure and improve food production.
There will also be a need to ensure that there is adequate investments in proper city planning if the city is to escape the high risks of epidemics.
Granted, the challenge of inadequate planning is still as real as ever taking into consideration the fact that about 70 per cent of the city’s settlements lie in unplanned areas.
The last time Dar es Salaam was planned was in 1979. That master plan was aimed to last until 1999.
Preparing Dar for a global status
The issue of planning has finally come to the attention of city fathers. On July 27 this year the minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Mr William Lukuvi, launched the first draft of the Dar es Salaam City Master Plan for 2016-2036. After the launch of the draft, a stakeholders meeting was convened to kick start collection of views on the 20-year draft.
“This new plan took longer than it should have to get completed because we want it to take into account current and future needs of Dar es Salaam,” Mr Lukuvi said.
“Crafting the plan started in 2012 and was supposed to end in the same year but due to administrative challenges it failed, now here we are,” he added.
The cost of inadequate planning
The fact that most of the Dar es Salaam City is built on unsurveyed land comes out as one of the main challenges in crafting the new plan. Implementing the master plan would also, and inevitably, involve widespread demolitions. In fact demolition has been a common feature whenever big road infrastructure projects are about to be implemented. But Mr Lukuvi says fear of demolitions should not be overblown.
“The demolitions will not be an immediate action. When it finally comes it will be done through negotiations. The first step is to ensure that all land in the city is surveyed,” said Mr Lukuvi.
Surveying the land will ensure landowners get adequate compensation in case their areas were earmarked for public use as provided for in the new master plan. “Again, no structure will be marked for demolition unless consultations and negotiations have been conducted,” Mr Lukuvi added.
To reduce the risk of too much demolitions, the final draft of the master plan would be completed only after wide-ranging consultations have been done with stakeholders.
“We want the final master plan to be a product of consultations from as many stakeholders as possible. This will increase ownership, reduce complaints and ensure maximum cooperation during its implementation stage,” Mr Lukuvi noted.
One of the main objectives of the master plan is to add more value to land ownership in the city.
City land is almost full and there is practically no space within the city for further construction with vertical construction remaining as the major alternative.
An essential part of the plan, according to city fathers, is to facilitate title deed holding for apartments that would be equal in value with deeds given for houses attached directly to the ground.
For that to happen, landlords in many parts of Dar es Salaam would be required to build or transform their houses into high rise buildings.
“This would give an opportunity to the young people who like to live in the city own homes that would be in a form of apartments,” he said.
It will also be a source of income to landlords through the selling of apartments.
Another objective of the new master plan is to reduce land conflicts in Dar es Salaam city that have overwhelmed the courts.
Pressure for housing as a result of high birth rates and the ever-increasing rural-urban migration as well as inadequate land survey programmes have resulted in many land conflicts.
Facilitating private investments
Dar es Salaam is the national economic capital with a population of over 4.3 million and is expected to grow to over 5 million in the coming three years. This provides a good market for businesses.
As expected, the DCMP 2016-2036 would create more industrial areas and business parks. The plan also envisages creating business centres and satellite cities to ease movement of people and goods.
“We plan to make the city more livable and more attractive to businesses. We want to create space for large city malls, markets, cultural and civic centres, health and social facilities,” said Mr Lukuvi.
Kawe MP Halima Mdee (Chadema) is of the view that the nametag of the master plan is misleading.
“We are in 2018 and this plan will eventually start in 2019 if everything goes as planned. If that is the case why do we call it a 2016-2036 master plan? We are in 2018 mind you!” she observed.
And Dar es Salaam Regional Sheikh Alhad Mussa Salum also had a word to share on the consideration of the worshiping houses in the city.
“I have listened to the presentations but I have not heard about specific areas allocated for construction of houses of worship. To build a functional city such areas are crucial,” he noted.
Master plan to be people-centred
After the collection of stakeholders’ views a public hearing for the master plan will be conducted. After all the views are incorporated, the minister responsible will assent to it.
“All the views and opinions of stakeholders and the public in general will be taken into consideration and incorporated to the final draft,” the Dar es Salaam City Executive Director, Ms Sipora Liana told The Citizen in an interview.
The stakeholders group is drawn from civic leaders, clerics, MPs and others.
For his part, Dar es Salaam City Mayor Isaya Mwita (Chadema) said that the public had an important role to play in the creation of the master plan through public hearing.
“The process of collecting public views is by law called ‘public hearing’. I urge Dar es Salaam residents to come out in droves to air their views. Experts don’t plan the city, the public does. We might make suggestions in the master plan but it is the people who know what they need and they might, therefore, have better ideas,” said the mayor.
He added: “The DCMP will be presented to the public through local authorities. All suggestions will be taken into the consideration,” he added.
What’s in store for Dar as the next global metropolis
