For decades, Nairobi was known as the green city in the sun, and rightly so. There were acres upon acres of green space that brought a breath of fresh air into the city. Today, the green areas are disappearing fast.
Constructing new edifices to cater for the needs of a ballooning population seems to take first priority, rather than laying the infrastructure for such growth. Construction means land, and land means using areas formerly set aside for social services.
Every Nairobian knows of some green field where they used to joins other children in the neighbourhood for recreational purposes. Today, the only areas left around the CDB are few. The two main parks are Uhuru and Central Parks. Due to overuse, even these ones are sagging under the weight of revellers who flock here on weekends and public holidays.
Despite their gazettement as public utilies, they have not escaped the eyes of developers who see them as prime real estate assets. We all remember the saga involving the then ruling party Kanu on one hand and environmentalists led by the late Professor Wangari Maathai on the other. Maathai fought a relentless battle to save the park by opposing the proposed construction of a 60-storey building to house the Kenya Times newspaper.
“Today, The Kenya Times may feel Uhuru Park is big enough for their complex. Tomorrow, another organisation will justify its own share of the park,” Maathai was quoted by The Standard on Sunday.
Similar battles involving proposed projects have been witnessed in City Park along Limuru Road.
According to environmental architect Kimeu Musau, what Wangari Maathai and other opponents of the project did was laudable, adding that he would act in the same manner were such a project interfere with a publicly shared natural resource.
“Architects are the custodians of the built environment as they are trained to fully understand the sector. They should ensure that whatever is built on any space contributes to the good of all. A structure in public land should be of benefit to the entire nation,” says Musau.
According to experts, development and conservation of public spaces should be subjected to public dialogue before any work can commence.
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
join