Engaging the Lake | Lake Victoria, Kisumu, Kenya Studio

Most cities in nations of the Global South are growing rapidly, expanding onto the natural and agricultural landscapes, presenting acute environmental problems, inequalities, and social fragmentation. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of urbanization at around 4% compared to 0.8% in North America, 0.5% in the European Union, and 1% in Latin America and the Caribbean. Frequently the planning instruments and urban references and aspirations in these nations are influenced or copied from other contexts, ignoring local conditions, not addressing the needs of an ample sector of the population, and in some cases even unintentionally contributing to these problems.

The studio asked participants to understand local conditions, demands, and discover opportunities, responding with proposals that are meaningful, feasible, and that will contribute to improve living conditions for all segments of the populations in a healthy and resilient environment.

Following the launch of the Joint Lakefront Planning & Development Initiative (JLPDI), the studio focused on sustainable development strategies for five riparian counties along Lake Victoria Basin in Kenya – namely, Busia, Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori. The studio offered the opportunity to simultaneously address environmental, social, and urban challenges common to cities of the Global South, aspects that are usually studied and confronted as silos. Participants were asked to gain ample knowledge of regional, urban, and site-specific conditions, exploring multi-scalar planning and design opportunities, envisioning the conditions that make them appropriate, meaningful, and implementable for a city that has not taken full advantage of its unique lakefront location.