Drivers for urban green infrastructure development and planning in two Ethiopian cities: Bahir Dar and Hawassa

Abstract

ABSTRACTUrban green infrastructure is an approach to sustainable urban development. The aim of this research is to examine the drivers for urban green infrastructure development and planning in Bahir Dar and Hawassa cities in Ethiopia. Data was collected using focus group discussion, interview and observation. In this study, we concentrated on the main drivers for urban green infrastructure planning and development, environmental stewardship, spatial planning, economic development, policy issues, local/regional needs, stakeholders’ interest and strategies/action plans. The results show that, among the listed drivers, the top priority drivers in Bahir Dar are spatial planning, economic development and environmental stewardship. In Hawassa, these are similar although top is economic development and second is spatial planning followed by environmental stewardship.