Nairobi is considering a new zoning policy, which will reclassify some estates as residential or mixed-use neighbourhoods at a time some suburbs are coming under pressure from a previous reclassification that has hurt their exclusivity.
Speaking during the launch of the status of the built environment report by the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK), Nairobi county executive committee member for urban planning said zoning had become a big problem facing the county and the real estate sector.
Zoning is allocating different areas of a town or city to specific uses including residential, commercial industrial, recreational, and public.
“Zoning is a big issue and that’s why we have now a new zoning policy that we need to sit down as Nairobians and agree, as we know public participation is crucial to creating order today,” said Mr Stephen Gathuita Mwangi CECM, built environment and urban planning Nairobi County.
He did not provide details of the new policy and which zones will be affected. “Those policies once tabled will be out there to the public to communicate their intentions and what needs to be done in Nairobi,” said Mr Mwangi.
Some regions in Nairobi had been earmarked as zones by the defunct City Council, with some giving guidelines on how many floors one can build and how many buildings can be on a piece of land.
Residents of Kileleshwa, Lavington, Kilimani, and other estates, which earlier held strict codes that outlawed high-rises have been facing the impact of the review of the Nairobi County zoning guidelines which allow for the construction of multi-storey flats in low-density zones due to rapid population growth in the city.
The revised Nairobi zones have dealt a blow to exclusive suburbs as any developer can now buy a plot and erect high-rise apartments resulting in the depreciation of properties while those in Muthaiga and Runda have appreciated because of maintaining the old zoning laws.
