Changing Times in Housing Production: Market-led Housing Transformation in 21st Century Nairobi

Twenty-first century Nairobi is undergoing rapid transformation as a city in the wake of the twin challenge of rapid population growth and increasing urbanization that Kenya is experiencing. The unprecedented pressure is altering both the physical and social fabric of the city as it grapples with the magnitude of the unanticipated radical urban change. This is manifestly evident in the city´s western suburbs where historically well-planned exclusive residential neighborhoods, renowned for their
preponderance of bungalows on ample plots,1 have recently experienced a radical shift in housing typology from low density single-family units to high density multi-family apartment blocks. This paper investigates the dynamics of the transformation that is altering how the city´s housing is produced and consumed; and in turn, how this is framing an emergent middle-class lifestyle. The research is based on a case study of a residential neighborhood in the west of the city that over the last decade of the current millennium has experienced rapid and radical transformation of its housing stock. The neighborhood’s low-rise detached single-family housing units are quickly being replaced by highrise multi-family apartment blocks. Qualitative interviews were conducted with key actors identified to be involved in the process of housing transformation in Nairobi. Additionally, apart from multiple site visits, field observations and documentation of the case study area, a review of relevant literature and documents was undertaken. The key findings are that market-led logics driven primarily by property developers are reshaping the mode by which housing in the city is produced and consumed and this is leading to an emergent norm of vertical living for some of the city´s residents who aspire to a middle-class lifestyle. However, in the context of the rapid urban transformation, particularly in the densification of housing, the paper also draws attention to patently evident significant unsustainable outcomes, which urgently need to be addressed to safeguard the long-term viability of the city´s residential habitat.