Land use and transport planning in the Greater Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

Urban land use (also known as spatial planning or urban form) has a big influence and impact on the way transport systems are planned and managed in large cities. In Kampala for example, transport systems are largely inefficient because of the failure by the city authorities to adopt an integrated approach towards land use and transport planning. Due to a multifarious and complex land tenure system, the provision of roads and other transport related infrastructure such as parking facilities and bus terminals has become virtually impossible. This paper examines the impact of land use on transport planning in Kampala in view of the city’s recent experience. It also draws lessons from the experiences of the role model cities in Asia. To address key transportation challenges such as rapid motorization and traffic jam, it is critical that land use-based strategies such as transit malls, land value capture, constructing high density buildings (both commercial and residential) along the transit lines as well as establishing park and ride facilities are adopted by the urban managers and city policy makers.