Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

More than fifty percent of the world population today lives in cities, and the pressures of urbanisation are particularly present in developing countries. As landscape architects, it is important to gain knowledge about the effect of urbanisation and ways to prevent the negativities. Experiencing the effects in person in a developing country, as well as learning from and about other cultures, enhances the understanding for global situations.
Dar es Salaam is located in one of the most rapidly urbanising regions in the world, which puts pressure on the environment and the humans living in it. Lack of means to regulate land development has led to a situation where expansion of unplanned settlements occurs, with spatial disorder as a consequence. This has in the extension led to a decreasing amount of publicly available and qualitative green spaces, and degradation of the few ones that exist.
There are facts that strengthen the status of urban parks, which especially becomes relevant in developing countries where many people live in sparse and exposed conditions. The importance of urban parks show in positive health effects and social cohesion, economic gains, increased biodiversity and air quality, improved water management and cooling effect.
With urbanisation and the importance of urban parks in mind, this master’s thesis explores the context and development of a re-design of Magomeni Garden. Magomeni Garden is a neighbourhood park, located in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, built in the early 1960ies the park has degraded due to the absence of maintenance during the last decades.
During a ten-week long field study, possible through the grant of a SIDA scholarship, the garden and Dar es Salaam was experienced and explored. Information was gathered through dialogues with stakeholders, site analysis including Kevin Lynch’s methods, literature studies, and comparisons of the author’s Swedish background and experiences in Dar es Salaam.
Magomeni Garden is one of few green sites that are available to the public in Dar es Salaam. The site functions as a hub, as a social meeting point, and for business activities. The society still has an outspread poverty; hence, the garden is also used for daily chores such as cooking, washing and sleeping.
The context of Magomeni Garden lead to a design that addresses the social culture, implementation of a beneficial microclimate and the need for an active central space with less-programmed outskirts. Further, cost effective and low maintenance solutions, including water management, use of native species was emphasised.