Robert A Obudho

Slum and squatter settlements in Sub-Saharan Africa: toward a planning strategy

Part One: Spatial Structure of Slum and Squatter Settlements in Sub-Saharan Africa Through Space and Time Part Two: Western Africa Part Three: Central and Eastern Africa Part Four: Southern Africa Part Five: Planning Strategies

Social Indicators For Housing And Urban Development In Africa: Towards A New Development Model

Social indicators as a new measuring tool for socio-economic development is a recent innovation. While numerous scholars have applied this new technique in studying the development aspects in developed countries, few scholars have tested this new methodology in Africa. This paper reviews the literature on social indicators and shows how it can be applied to measuring the social progress in urban and housing development in the international, national, regional and local environment. We believe very strongly that social indicators will evaluate the degree of progress that is being made in achieving a wide range of social goals in Africa.

Multivariate analysis of Kenya's urban system.

The study analyzes the structure, spatial interaction, and dimension of the post-colonial urban systems of Kenya using component factor analysis and based on selected socio-cultural, economic, and demographic variables. The study identified seven major dimensions of variation accounting for 72.0%. The analysis of the urban spatial variation is compared and intertwined with studies done in other countries to find out the regional variation of the loadings. Finally, a seven-order characteristics of Kenya urban systems is suggested, based on the study. The accurate knowledge of these salient characteristics of Kenya urban sub-systems is important before any viable spatial planning should be implemented.

Contemporary Issues in Regional Development Policy: Perspectives from Eastern and Southern Africa@@@Subsaharan Africa in the 1990s: Challenges to Democracy and Development

Local economic revitalization - issues and prospects resources and resource mobilization management of environmental resources least developed regions and border areas challenges and opportunities.

Pre-colonial and Early Colonial Urbanization in the East Coast of Africa: The African-Asian Connection

East Africa, comprising the Republic of Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania and Republic of Uganda, covers a diverse region of the central portion of Eastern Africa. These three national states have varied and different historical, economic, political and socio-cultural development which must be taken into account in presenting the urbanization process in the respective countries (Hutton, 1972; Kanyaeihamba and McAuslan, 1978; Obadho, 1984, pp. 134–54; 1986, pp. 171–93; 1989, pp. 292–315 and 1993, pp. 77–108). East Africa is not only one of the poorest regions of the world but also the least urbanized relative to the continent as a whole, the average of developing countries and the world at large. Until recently, urbanization was not considered to be a problem in most African countries because it was associated with modernization and industrialization. Both governments and international donor agencies fostered rural development and agriculturally-based strategies without paying attention to the rapid rates of urbanization. In the 1990s, urbanization has been added to the long list of potentially devastating development problems which must be addressed. The fundamental problem is that the urban population is growing very fast while the economic growth and development transformations necessary to support it and enhance the quality of urban life are not occurring as rapidly.