Sustainability assessment of residential neighbourhoods with varying densities in Nairobi, Kenya
Abstract Sustainability is vital in planning cities and urban areas but has received less attention in development of neighbourhoods. This paper assesses the sustainability of high, medium and low-density neighbourhoods in Nairobi City, Kenya. This paper is among the first to assess sustainability l...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Discover Cities |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44327-025-00101-2 |
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| Summary: | Abstract Sustainability is vital in planning cities and urban areas but has received less attention in development of neighbourhoods. This paper assesses the sustainability of high, medium and low-density neighbourhoods in Nairobi City, Kenya. This paper is among the first to assess sustainability level of neighbourhoods in Kenya. Primary data was obtained from 267 questionnaires and checklists, while secondary data was obtained from Registry Index Maps, multispectral images, and population census. Raw data with different units were normalised into a common and comparable scale followed by equal weighting to determine sustainability index. The findings show that medium-density neighbourhood emerged as the most sustainable, while low-density is the least. Considering the three sustainability criteria, medium-density is rated high in environmental and social sustainability, high-density is rated high in economic sustainability, while low-density is rated low in all the three criteria. The findings indicate distinctive sustainability strengths and challenges in each neighbourhood density across the assessment criteria and indictors, which calls for striking a delicate balance between them. Therefore, assessing sustainability of neighbourhoods help in guiding planners and policymakers in decision making on which sustainability criteria and indicators can be enhanced, which ultimately contributes to city sustainability. |
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| ISSN: | 3004-8311 |