Satellite towns can sort out urban mess

NAIROBI: Kenyans celebrated Christmas amid reports of mountains of smelly garbage that have choked Nairobi's CBD and a number of residential estates. Garbage per se is not the main problem. Indeed, it is only a symptom of a bigger drawback that city authorities hoped to address through the Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Plan for Nairobi City (NIUPLAN).

The words "sustainable urban development"; "integrated development" and "improved living conditions" feature prominently in the NIUPLAN. The plan sets in motion a system of addressing challenges related to land use, urban economy, population, settlements, urban infrastructure, environmental disasters and so on. This plan covering the 2014-2030 stretch aims at entrenching harmony, convenience, good management, security and social order right across the city.