Residents' Economic Perspectives of Public Open Space in Informal Settlements The Case of Riverside Commercial District in Kibangu Informal Settlement

Mark Dickson Godfrey, Dr. Liberatus Mrema

It is apparent that sustenance and growth of any city squarely relies on the stability of its economy. All over the world, cities, Dar es Salaam not being an exception, are struggling for rebirth, trying to market themselves in the world maps with the intention of achieving economic breakthrough. Accompanied with notable trends of economic shifts from socialism to capitalism, Dar es Salaam has been searching for better economic gears that would swing its development and prosperity, however, investing in public spaces seemed to be unclear both in the formal and informal settings. This study aims at exploring the economic potentials of public-space- landscapes in shaping sustainable cities. The current stance is that the existing public open spaces in the urban Tanzania are silent potential economic avenues which could be activated for the well being and prosperity of the urbanites. The study used Kibango informal settlement as a case study area and public open spaces and their commercial uses as the unit of analysis because Kibango is one of the saturated informal settlements with clear structure of commercial urban spaces which were naturally and culturally shaped by residents themselves. Moreover, Kibango informal settlement was picked because of its commercial vibrancy on streets accompanied with diverse activities by people from within and outside the settlement. This study was conducted through observations, interviews and decoded through mapping, sketching and photographing the current economic uses of public spaces; streets being the central focus. Commercialization of informal settlements is the reflection of business operators and investors' preferences as well as the needs of their clientele. Road network is the central element of commercialization of properties in the informal settlements as it invites businesses, creates visibility to shops, brings in people from different areas, facilitates delivery of goods and services, and used as temporary parking area. Prosperity and endurance of commercialized properties is determined by provision of utilities including water, electricity and physical accessibility. Moreover, good customer care, clean and attractive environment, affordability of customers and wide range of choice and quality of goods contribute to sustenance of the commercialized properties. For a business hub to be comprehensive it must have service business type, merchandising business type, and manufacturing business type. The concentration of business activities along the perimeter roads and thoroughfares and the formation of rental houses away from the commercial streets create a clear dichotomy between pure commercial and pure residential areas and also between pure vibrant commercial areas and tranquil rental and owner occupier houses. Commercialization of properties creates a shift from pure residential neighborhoods to mixed use neighbourhoods for economic survival of its residents and poverty reduction. Commercialization of properties if well monitored can foster sustainable city development, self-reliance and intensification of national tax base.