Gaborone

The city of Gaborone, like Botswana, the nation of which it is capital, is extraordinary in African terms. Here is a city lacking in mass poverty, extensive squatter settlements or recurrent civil strife: for all appearances, an orderly, affluent urban area. For these reasons, it is an important example of how planning authorities in a developing nation have managed urban growth. Gaborone has had opportunities other African cities have not. Thus it invites questions as to how these have been managed and expressed. A key issue which emerges is the co-location of informal, traditional and modern forms of land allocation both within Gaborone City and the peri-urban regions with which it is increasingly connected. This throws up a number of issues, including the inconsistent way in which planning authorities have managed this ‘balancing act’.

Research highlights► Gaborone City and its peri-urban regions are increasingly interconnected. ► Informal, traditional and modern forms of land use co-exist. ► This has lead to conflict, the management of which has been handled inconsistently. ► The city economy is too dependent on mineral exports and requires diversification. ► Popular participation in planning is minimal and reflects entrenched inequality.