Planning Models for Small Towns in Tanzania
55
should be used to facilitate resource mobilization for planning projects and their
implementation.
Due to the unaffordability of large project implementations and sustainable service
provisions in terms of costs, quality of services, infrastructures and expertise, clusterization of operations among proximate small towns to benefit from economies
of scale and promote alternative technologies that are affordable by the small-town
communities, is recommended.
For coordination and conformity among mandated urban governance institutions, the definition of small towns/urban settlements should consider three variables concurrently, i.e. population size, building/population density and percentage
of labour force in off-farm employment. In Tanzania, using populations thresholds,
small towns could be considered as areas with population between 12,000 and 50,000
and with building densities of between 10 and 30 buildings per hectare.
The most important areas for early intervention for urban growth in Tanzania
should be in areas with vibrant commercialized agricultural activities that result in
value additions and economic linkages; tarmacked road or any multimodal transport
node including road junctions situated about 2-hours’ drive from the next similar or
bigger urban centre. The government should do pre-emptive planning intervention
in such areas to guide their growth.
There should be special consideration of urban health-related aspects in small
towns since they are the focal points for rural populations, which are the largest
group in Tanzania. Having well-planned small towns will lead into growth of wellplanned regional and cities of the future since these small towns grow and develop
into cities.
Reference
Muzzini E, Lindeboom W (2008) The urban transition in Tanzania. Building the Empirical Base
for Policy Dialogue, pp 1–166
55
should be used to facilitate resource mobilization for planning projects and their
implementation.
Due to the unaffordability of large project implementations and sustainable service
provisions in terms of costs, quality of services, infrastructures and expertise, clusterization of operations among proximate small towns to benefit from economies
of scale and promote alternative technologies that are affordable by the small-town
communities, is recommended.
For coordination and conformity among mandated urban governance institutions, the definition of small towns/urban settlements should consider three variables concurrently, i.e. population size, building/population density and percentage
of labour force in off-farm employment. In Tanzania, using populations thresholds,
small towns could be considered as areas with population between 12,000 and 50,000
and with building densities of between 10 and 30 buildings per hectare.
The most important areas for early intervention for urban growth in Tanzania
should be in areas with vibrant commercialized agricultural activities that result in
value additions and economic linkages; tarmacked road or any multimodal transport
node including road junctions situated about 2-hours’ drive from the next similar or
bigger urban centre. The government should do pre-emptive planning intervention
in such areas to guide their growth.
There should be special consideration of urban health-related aspects in small
towns since they are the focal points for rural populations, which are the largest
group in Tanzania. Having well-planned small towns will lead into growth of wellplanned regional and cities of the future since these small towns grow and develop
into cities.
Reference
Muzzini E, Lindeboom W (2008) The urban transition in Tanzania. Building the Empirical Base
for Policy Dialogue, pp 1–166