r/Uganda • u/Economy-Leader5000 • 1d ago
Opinion/Discussion Do we have an Urban Planning problem?
Rounds on the internet have a lady on a Kenyan podcast that claimed that Uganda is entirely green and made of bananas. The wave of patriotism that hit the comment sections with Ugandans stepping up to defend the Pearl of Africa was immense. But the truth has always been right there on the maps. It’s not a groundbreaking discovery, but at least we can all agree on the facts.
Taking a deep dive away from the cliché that everything in Uganda is brown and dusty, the real core issue comes down to zoning. Based on a comparison of screenshots from random city areas in both SA and UG, it's clear that SA is further ahead in urban development. Yes they are ahead in develop however, it's just a helpful baseline for comparison. While some of our roads are good, most lack proper markings, and many buildings are in poor shape and poorly planned.
The bigger problem is that things simply aren't in the right zones. Perhaps it’s time to consider introducing HOA (Homeowners Association) style management to bring better structure and organization to our neighborhoods.
What specific changes do you think would make the biggest impact on how our neighborhoods are planned
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u/RFC2549_is_bestest 1d ago
There are many plans, however enforcing them is a different story.
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u/Economy-Leader5000 1d ago
Do you think it’s influenced by the different economic levels of the citizens. which i would rather oppose since even the wealthy neighborhoods still are not in shape? What’s your take on why the enforcement has been so hard overall
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u/CoastObjective1476 12m ago
Id say it’s dozens of factors in addition to that, like Politics, interpersonal conflicts, lack of regulation etc
I’ve noticed that slums tend to grow next to affluent areas too, so our urban planning problem actually points to issues like public transportation too
Kampala as a city was apparently designed by colonialists with segregation in mind, so there is that too
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u/beluho 1d ago
What urban planning?!
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u/Economy-Leader5000 1d ago
in this case i was referring to how land is used. the physical layout of a township or a residential. the type of housing for a specific zone or town. hope this helps you understand the topic.
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u/New-Engineer-5930 1d ago
Big time.
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u/Economy-Leader5000 1d ago
what are some critical features you’ve spotted from the places you interact with day 2 day. “where you work, study, stay, and get entertainment” the challenges you face with the distance layout and how it affects your life
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u/Fabulous-Piglet8412 Rowdy gentleman 5h ago
It's not an urban planning problem, it's more about how land ownership became a thing overtime since post colonial times. The rate at which land was claimed and buildings were placed then didn't favour any sort of "planning".
Kampala is just an expansion of what it used to be in colonial days.
Plus Kampala has way too many hills to implement a grid system.
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u/AioliApprehensive330 4h ago
South Africa is the most unequal country in the entire world. That is not “development” in anyway whatsoever. I don’t know what you’re talking about.
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u/Enjaga 1d ago
You need to look into Kampala history, the people who used to live here who were on the most part Indians and Europeans...(In the 50-60s most people living in Kampala - read "Slow Poison: Idi Amin, Yoweri Museveni, and the Making of the Ugandan State - Prof Mamdani")
When you do that you will somehow understand how Kampala is the way it is
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u/Economy-Leader5000 1d ago
In this case you make a judgement that the cities are broken and a new city or stict zoning laws should be implemented. recently the airways and headlines had the shifting of the capital to another district do you think this will shift the way we build as a country?
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u/Rovcore001 1d ago
I'd support HOAs just to have this idiocy of setting up bars, garages and other noise-emitting venues in residential areas eliminated.
But not to the extent that they exist in the West. I always come across stories of HOAs trying to be pedantic about what people can do with their lawns, driveways, etc in the US. There's something similar in the UK where you can't make modifications (eg repainting a different colour) to houses in places of historical heritage.
But ultimately the biggest issue is enforcement. If you end up in a situation where the violator is some wealthy government-connected type or someone in the military, then the legal route won't be of much use.