An Evolutionary and Sustainability Perspective on Public Space in Nairobi

Public open spaces play a significant role in the life, form, and experience of cities. The growth of towns and cities results in greater urbanization within countries. Urban growth means increased numbers of people in cities who require access to social amenities. These social amenities include public open spaces in cities such as Nairobi, Kenya. In Nairobi’s case, multiple public open spaces in its Central Business District (CBD) are under-utilized, and do not fully perform their role as publicly accessible areas for commerce, transportation, transit, and recreation. There is, therefore, a dichotomy comprising an increased demand for public open spaces on one hand and a non-optimal use of such existing spaces on the other. Through an analysis of the spatial evolution of public open spaces and components of sustainability, this book establishes factors that contribute to spaces that are better utilized and more suitable for their users. It employs a systematic, comparative analysis of spatial changes in Nairobi’s CBD. Through comprehensive data, it provides information on the shifts in sustainability of the city’s public open spaces over time. For Nairobi, the connection between spatial evolution and sustainability regarding its public open spaces has required greater evidence-based articulation. This book, therefore, serves to fill a knowledge gap through its investigation of urban spatial elements as they relate to social, economic, environmental, and governance aspects of sustainability. By presenting statistical models of sustainability, it also highlights the drivers of sustainability of public open spaces in the CBD.