• Most public spaces are choking in garbage, others are not only insecure but inaccessible to persons living with disability.
• Entrance fee, as charged by Karura Forest, Arboretum and August 7 Memorial Park, can be a barrier to access and inclusion.
Public spaces in Nairobi are not only few but substandard, a new inventory and assessment by the United Nations Habitat shows.
The report, which was launched on Wednesday, is concerned that some of the public places have been turned into dumping sites for all types of garbage.
“Experiences from across the world shows that public spaces with uncollected garbage are generally perceived to be dangerous places and crime hot spots. As such, the public tends to avoid such places,” part of the 98-page report says.
The inventory, which is aimed at reclaiming the once Green City in the Sun, emphasises the importance of trees as contributors of comfort and safety in public spaces and the city at large.
Further, trees enhance the landscape, ameliorate the city image, and abate noise through natural mechanisms like transferring sound to other objects and altering the direction of the sound.
Trees also bounce sound back to its source, bending sound waves around an object, and blending irritating sound with more pleasant sound.
The report indicates that there are 826 documented public spaces in the city. It calls for the protection, revitalisation of public spaces and reclamation of grabbed public spaces.
It notes that 357 of those spaces are under the custodianship of the county government and 39 under the National Government.
According to the inventory, the principle of liveliness and social inclusivity of public space is mostly affected by management models which can either reinforce social exclusions or foster inclusion.
It notes that entrance fee, as charged by Karura Forest, Arboretum and August 7 Memorial Park, can be a barrier to access and inclusion.
Such fee, the report states, reinforces economic and social inequalities and takes away the right to the city.
"Public space should not be a privilege of the wealthy but a basic human right accessible to and enjoyable by all regardless of their political and religious beliefs and economic ability."
Of the 826 public spaces, access to 651 is unrestricted – anyone can use them.
The Habitat report says the design of, for instance, walkways, entrances and amenities such as toilets, can promote access to and inclusivity in public spaces.
“In Nairobi, however, public spaces are not friendly to persons living with disability. Only 19.8 per cent of the public open spaces have inclusive infrastructure – pedestrian infrastructure that suits all users.”
The document emphasises the need to encourage a universal design of public spaces for sustainability. Such design enhances connectivity of public spaces to public transport (matatus) and creates a network of dedicated and protected bike lanes.
Currently, only five public spaces are connected to bike lanes and only 24 are connected to a matatu stage.
The report notes that public spaces are either managed by the county government or have no management at all.
While this makes them truly public, lack of control and enforcement of security, particularly at night, make them prone to crime and vandalism.
The report says access to 16 of the public spaces is controlled through opening and closing hours. Uhuru Gardens is, for instance, open daily from 8.00am to 6.00pm.
While this might be a barrier to universal access, it does not necessarily mean they are not public.
In some cases, maintenance and vegetation watering is done at night when the spaces are closed to the public.
Access to some open spaces is limited to people who live within their proximity and their guests. They include courtyards and playgrounds in residential estates. There are 162 such spaces in Nairobi.
The Habit report notes the commercialisation of Karura Forest, Arboretum and August 7 Memorial Park which charge entrance fees.
While these spaces are well maintained and are of higher quality than the free-entry ones, it is important to balance sustainability and quality against accessibility and inclusivity.
There are two urban forests in Nairobi - Ngong’ and Karura - with a combined area of 4,769.9 acres, accounting for 61.91 per cent of Nairobi’s public space ecosystem.
The report says Ngong Forest has the potential to enrich the experience and enjoyment of residents and visitors while Karura is an example of a sustainable urban forest.
The Nairobi Arboretum and City Park are nature reserves home to more than 300 species of flora and fauna. They are favourite destinations of nature lovers.
Regrettably, both urban forests and nature reserves continue to diminish in area due to territorial encroachment and land alienation by public authorities for infrastructure and commercial development.
The report also acknowledges cemeteries as integral to the green and public space system.
- mwaniki fm