Human Activities and Urban Green Spaces of Slum-Dwelling Areas : A Case of Dandora Estates, Nairobi County

Abstract

Rapid urbanization, coupled with population influx in many developing countries worldwide, is a prominent cause of the depletion of urban green spaces (UGS). These beautiful, green, and tranquil areas within urban forms are being depleted due to increased human interference in cities and urban areas globally. This paper examines the implications of various human activities that dominate the urban green spaces of Dandora by engaging with household heads and those found undertaking activities within the UGS. The results indicate that residents' participation in social and economic activities had a positive correlation (0.18 and 0.304, respectively) with the negative effects on UGS, while residents' participation in environmental activities had a negative correlation (-0.502) with the latter. The findings establish that the primary positive effect resulting from human activities practiced in the UGS in Dandora was increased UGS users who increased utility and made use of these spaces. Some of the recommendations include: the county government should reclaim and rehabilitate any open space that may have been encroached upon to facilitate other unplanned and haphazard developments. This move will tend to increase the green space size as they originally were, making them more functional, usable, and accessible to the public. The Ministry of Land needs to invest in a centralized land information system and Geographic Information System as a tool in innovative land use planning to reduce encroachments. There is a dire need for architects, engineers, and environmentalists within the country to advise and educate real estate developers on the importance of biophilic design to the contemporary urban form.