Abstract
Urban development in the last four decades has brought a complete change to the urban image of Gaborone. Its original savannah landscape and surrounding green complexion has changed by cumulative impacts of numerous factors involved in creation of a contemporary settlement, from a small village to the capital city of Botswana. The concept of a "garden city" was introduced immediately after the country gained its independence from the British in 1966. Building on the legacy of "garden city", it was assumed that the "new town" will continue to shape and gain recognition as an urban oasis. However, this was not the case and Gaborone became the fastest growing urban laboratory in Sub-Saharan Africa, portraying intensive diffusion and adoption of imported urban models (WARD, 1999). The spectacular population increase from only 7,000 people in 1966 to almost 200,000 in 2001, and urban sprawling were inevitable. This enlargement was fuelled by rural-urban migration owing to the administrative and economic status of Botswana's new capital, as well as, due to intensive urbanization, industrialization and transportation based on individual car use. Even in the latest city development plan (GoB, 2001) less attention has been paid to the role of green networks and areas, and their contribution to many ecological and societal values. Today, Gaborone is facing the challenge of the typical problems of mega-cities, such as environmental degradation, urban sprawl. The research project DIMSUD is dedicated to identify ways toward sustainable urban development, starting with an analysis of challenges, and continuing with the tasks for urban planning and opportunities for sustainable urban development.
Highlights
The global phenomenon of rapid urbanisation is the main challenge to planning in the beginning of the 21st century
Zajednica za globalnu održivost (Alliance for Global Sustainability – AGS) sponzorirala je međunarodni, multidisciplinarni i interkulturalni projekt Dizajniranje, provođenje i mjerenje održivog urbanog razvoja (Designing, implementing and measuring sustainable urban development – DIMSUD)2
Two years later additional studies have been undertaken highlighting some major problems and challenges, and proposing quite innovative and workable solutions for the city in the fields of: public transport, economic diversification and open and public spaces. According to all these findings, a sustainable development is recommended as the only development alternative for Gaborone
Summary
The global phenomenon of rapid urbanisation is the main challenge to planning in the beginning of the 21st century. Glavni grad Bocvane jedan je od najbrže rastućih, ako ne i najbrže rastući urbani central city This is the capital, which is characterised through urban poverty, poor housing quality, not existing or low quality urban and social services or through a limited access to global networking: Bamako (Mali), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Mogadishu (Somalia), Cotonou (Benin) and many others (Fig. 1). The capital of Botswana, is one of the fastest growing urbanities in sub-Saharan Africa, if not the fastest one (MOSHA, 1996). Gaborone is at present far from being a million city, the official population projection of Botswana points out, that it will become a half-million city in 2021 (GoB, CSO, 1997). Središnje pitanje je "da li ili ne Grad Gaborone može sam sebe održati u budućnosti " (MOSHA, 1996)
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