The urban planner’s pedestrian dream

Sherlyne Omangi, 26, is an urban environmental planner working at the Stockholm Environment Institute, Africa Centre (SEI-Africa) on Sustainable Urbanisation Programmes.

She completed her primary education at Gilgil Hills Academy in 2007 before joining Kenya High School in 2008, where she scored B-.

In 2012, she joined the University of Nairobi to study urban and regional planning. Afterwards, she pursued a master’s degree at the same university and specialised in environmental planning and management.

Who is an urban environmental planner?

Someone who provides guidance on how current and upcoming generations can coexist harmoniously in terms of living and working in an ideal environment within cities, towns and metropolitan settings.

It is about considering people’s sustainable health and environmental welfare, while facilitating eco-friendly economic activities, and mitigating the risks associated with climate change, and disaster and risk management.

Is this the career you always dreamed of?

No. I just decided to try it and as I progressed with my studies, I found that I enjoyed the subject greatly. By the time I was in my third year at university, I decided to be an urban environmental planner.

My lecturer, Dr Munyua Mwaura, made me discover my potential and develop a passion for planning. Also, my mother, Eunice Boruru, who is a researcher, and my team leader at SEI, Dr Romanus Opiyo. They both guided me on how to conduct research.

Which subjects are mandatory for an environmental planning trainee?

Mathematics is key because when proposing building densities, you would have to calculate land capacity in relation to the number of settlers.

Geography is also important because it helps you understand various landforms and soil compositions.

Knowledge in biology is necessary to help you design projects that correspond to the nature of the living organisms in that specific location, especially considering their behaviour patterns.

Additionally, history makes you understand the geopolitical characteristics and cultures of various people. You need to communicate effectively, so a good command of language is also vital.

What does your typical day look like?

It entails gathering and analysing data, figuring out the changes that need to be made in proposals, and going to the field to study the factors that affect development in terms of environmental impact, economic development and social structures. I often spend a lot of time meeting different stakeholders.

The role I play in enhancing people’s lives. It is very exciting to see how urban designs can help improve and rehabilitate dilapidated habitats.

I find interacting with people from poor backgrounds quite fulfilling. For instance, I was involved in the Mukuru Slum Special Planning Area, and I usually get to be part of the community clean up exercises. This gives me so much joy and satisfaction.

What key challenges do urban environmental planners face?

The emergence of informal and squatter settlements. These sporadic structures make planning very difficult because they take up most of the space that has been set aside for infrastructure and utility services.

When relocating people in such settlements, conflicts often arise and are usually followed by protracted and costly compensation processes.

Which problems would modern urban planning solve?

Geographical discrimination is one of them. In many urban and rural set ups, resources are often inequitably distributed, with some areas progressing much faster compared to others.

This leads to unhealthy and unbalanced social factors that account for the large-scale disparities in development within a population.

How can planning for the Nairobi metropolis be improved?

Urban planners should design systems that can evenly distribute the available resources.

Currently, the situation in Nairobi is automobile-centred, with limited provisions for pedestrians and non-motorised transport.

This can affect pedestrian’s safety and accessibility to businesses depending on their location. Urban mobility is very important considering the fact that majority of urban residents are pedestrians.

Which are some of your urban planning projects that you can share?

Currently, SEI is involved in formulating the Mukuru Special Planning Area Integrated Development Plan under the Nairobi County government, leading the environment and natural resources group, which is tackling the waste management issue, soil analysis and air quality in Mukuru area.

Due to their low income, most families in the slum area cannot afford to pay for garbage collection, which leads to indiscriminate waste disposal and open burning which in turn pollutes the air.

Our team is developing suitable interventions that can help improve their living standards.

What key challenges do modern planners face?

You may design a feasible proposal, but due to bureaucracy and political interference, it never gets to be implemented!

This happens when institutions charged with the duty of planning and management lack the required political backing and budgetary allocation.

If you were to be appointed Environmental Planner for Nairobi metropolis, what would you do first?

Kenya is transforming into a middle-income society, so I would begin by designing pedestrian-friendly road networks and linkages.

What is the role of residents in complementing urban planning within their habitat?

Residents should be actively involved in development control. They should be firm on the structures that should and shouldn’t be constructed within their neighbourhood or working spaces.

What role can the young generation play in creating well-planned cities and towns?

Youth are tech-savvy, innovative and seem to be more committed to social justice.

Through online petitions, they should advocate for acceptable designs and transformative solutions such as non-motorised transport lanes and city beautification projects.

Does a planner’s job pay? Where can one work?

Urban planning does pay well and is quite versatile. One can work for international non-governmental organisations, research institutions, in academia, parastatals, counties, private firms, or be self-employed once you get registered as a certified physical planner.