Residential land utilization case study, Nairobi, Kenya

Land is the basic commodity for human settlements. It is the physical framework in which all living activities take place. Coordinated and effective policies which affect land utilization, including land controls, taxation and public ownership of land, are necessary if optimum benefits are to result, especially during the period when rural land is converted to urban uses. Land utilization policies have an extremely important bearing upon the ability of a city to develop even to functional living standards. The role played by land becomes even more critical in cities of developing countries with their exponential rate of urbanization. African cities are still in early stages of urbanization and are not yet confronted with the overwhelming problems faced by Asian and Latin American cities. This study focuses specifically on the physical layout/subdivision of land. This aspect of land is fundamental since the layout is not only critical from an efficiency and amenity standpoint, but also because it tends to be the most permanent feature of the city.