Inner City Riverside Development And Land Use Transformation In The Context Of Addis Ababa Msc Thesis In Urban Settlement Studies Noma- Search Program

Looking at the current trend in the use and appropriation of land adjacent to rivers in the city ofrnAddis Ababa, it becomes difficult to imagine how these areas had been transformed from userfriendlyrnand plausible city-river interaction to degraded and disregarded part of the city where, thesernareas are characterized as destination points for most of the garbage from households andrnfactories. The main objective of this study is to investigate the physical and spatial transformation ofrnsettlements along with existing activities currently taking place along riverside areas within the city.rnIt also identifies different parameters and develops basic principles as well as guidelines for futurernriver-edge development strategy. Four case study areas located within the inner city, currentlyrnundergoing urban renewal program, are selected for investigation. The study is carried out usingrndata obtained through Google earth image, line maps, interviews, observation and mapping of therncase study areas. In addition space syntax software “AGRAPH” is used as an important tool inrnanalyzing spatial- program relationships, while providing a scientific backdrop in cross-relating initialrnassumption with on site observations.rnThe study found out that, there are significant numbers of built-up structures added, extended andrntransformed between1995 and 2002 mainly to accommodate shelter mostly for informal inhabitants.rnInner city riverside areas of Addis Ababa are characterized as “lost” spaces of the city which do notrnpromote social values and harmonic interaction between people and their natural surroundings.rnMoreover, these spaces are least accessible and poorly utilized which has resulted in attractingrninformal activities and informal settlements. In addition, the several transformation and activitiesrnhappening within the informal environment and their proximity to major access routes show a directrnrelationship- i.e. the further away from major access routes the more the informality.rnFinally, based on the findings of the study, design guidelines and land use strategies are proposedrnfor inner city riverside areas. To show practicality of the recommended guidelines, a schematic landuserndesign is proposed for one specific case study area.rnKey words: River-edge, Watershed, Transformation, Accessibility, Buffer-zone

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