PLANNING led the urban design workstream as part of an international consortium in the development of the Kisumu City masterplan. Our approach to city planning entailed the development of focused action area plans that addressed the lakefront, the revitalization, preservation, and expansion of the central business district, open space standards, and informal settlements development guidelines.

The overall outcome was a strong and visionary plan for the regeneration of the city and its downtown, anchored by a revitalized lakefront district. We proposed the creation of an entirely re-imagined lakefront district that will serve more than one purpose by contributing to all aspects of resident and visitor life. The lakefront is now proposed to be an integrated and accessible asset that will offer a variety of recreational, development, and touristic opportunities.

The city-wide Local Physical Development Plan (LPDP) and the complementing detailed masterplans provide guidance towards the realization of dignified housing, amenities, public facilities, and infrastructure utilities across all income groups. The plans recognize that cities are only as vibrant as their economies are, and therefore provide strategic direction that will create explicit opportunities for job-creating investment via real estate development, industry creation, and other means. The plans also celebrate the history of the city by articulating guidelines by which the city will preserve its attractive architectural and cultural heritage, thus increasing the commercial and touristic value of the central business district amongst other locations.

While doing so, the plan also recognizes that the central business district needs to expand and modernize, and therefore provides a strategy for the creation of approximately 170 acres of new or repurposed investor-ready developable land parcels that shall become a dynamic part of modern Kisumu.