The nexus of urban development and infrastructure

Abstract

This chapter analyses two East African cities – Dar es Salaam and Nairobi – based on the ideas of the typology of urban structure models. It focuses on the impact of trunk transportation infrastructure in order to gain a deeper understanding of the interrelationship of urban development and trunk mobility infrastructure. The chapter focuses on different urban development models and land tenure systems. Models of urban structure can generally be divided into concentric, sectoral and polycentric models. Usually, trunk infrastructure follows the urban structure, and, at the same time, large-scale infrastructure guides urban development in certain geographical directions. Urban transport in African cities is shaped by massive urbanisation and growing motorisation, urban sprawl, urban poverty and socio-spatial fragmentation, but at the same time shapes particular urbanisation patterns. The tremendous population growth in Dar es Salaam is reflected in notable spatial expansion into the periphery, mainly taking the form of informal settlements.