Sustainable Urbanism in Nyeri Town, Kenya

Urbanisation is an irreversible phenomenon in African countries, and this trend is set to continue. Urbanisation and the growth of urban areas have multiple repercussions among them economic, socio -cultural and political changes ¿ which could either be beneficial or adverse. Nyeri town, being the County Government headquarters and consequently, centre for the county¿s administrative, economic and political affairs exhibits such adverse characteristics as regards urban development. These include: lack of commensurate economic development, growth in unplanned settlements, urban sprawl, peripherization, congestion and property development in excess of the carrying capacity of available infrastructure. The question of urban development therefore begs, if urbanisation is inevitable, what form should it take in Kenyäs rapidly urbanising towns such as Nyeri?