User:Tracy Kamau/sandbox

THE MIJI BORA PROJECT
Miji Bora is a Swahili translation for "Better Cities". Miji Bora is a research project under the Coastal and Marine Resource Development (COMRED); dedicated to the Transitioning of Mombasa, Kenya into a smart and sustainable port city, by co-creatively examining Mombasa's city system and designing practical pathways to achieve its objectives. This is in response to urban poverty and Inequality levels that continue to rise substantially. Urbanization processes are usually informal and poorly located in areas of high risk, often at the expense of natural infrastructure, which otherwise contributes to ecosystem services such as food protection and water provision. The urbanization processes, in turn, impacts climate change threatening to derail the development of the coastal city. The research focuses on marine development sustainability and addressing the city's key challenges: Waste Management, Water and Sanitation, and Housing, whilst protecting and growing an economy

OBJECTIVES
This aim will be achieved by addressing 3 broad objectives;


 * 1) Conducting a situational analysis of the key drivers of urban form
 * 2) Predicting future trajectories.
 * 3) Envisioning prototype and mainstream smart and sustainable future pathways.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES
The project will involve city planners, academics, urban researchers and other stakeholders in an effort to Transition the city into economically productive, environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive entities. Due to the complexity associated with the measurements of variables related to the concepts of urbanization, a variety of methods will be employed. A mix of research designs to obtain data that are both quantitative and Interpretive will also be utilized. In addition, the project will engage in a series of peer to peer exchanges between Mombasa and Durban's eThekwini Municipality. EThekwini Municipality has a global reputation of using community Ecosystem Based Approaches and has taken the lead in addressing solid waste, water and sanitation, energy, and transportation issues. In these exchanges city officials and academic researchers from both cities will engage in learning co-generation and co-creating Knowledge without privileging the existing expert knowledge. Importantly, such exchanges will involve prototyping approaches, where certain interventions are conceptualized and implemented within a clearly outlined Domain of the target system. Miji Bora provides linkages to SDG 6,SDG 11, 13 and 14. emphasizes the importance of the Blue Economy, given that 10 out of the 22 mega cities are on the coastline. Miji Bora provides opportunity to address issues relevant to these coastal cities. The focus of the Miji Bora Project is capacity building of Mombasa County through five key pillars of the project.

COMPONENTS

 * Geo-spatial Analyses

This component will be incorporated to improve efficiency in handling of geo-spatial data and build spatial data analyses and decision support systems through data capture and establishing data management systems.


 * Smart Futures

This component will focus on building research capacity on smart city and urban features as well as improving efficiency of county operations. This will be achieved through developing a protocol/framework for stakeholder engagement and building a smart platform to inform [recycling management]. Building capacity of county government staff on smart city and digitization, as well as on CCTV information usage, will be accomplished.


 * Situational Analyses

This will be done to understand the urban realities and determine the baseline conditions and drivers of change in urban areas. This will be made possible by examining and reviewing the implementation status of existing policies and conducting a gap analyses on activity implementation.


 * Institutional repositioning and stakeholder engagement

The objective here is to transform organizational culture which supports as well as positioning and strengthening relevant institutions within the County Government. This will be done by strengthening institutional partnerships and external linkages on transitioning.


 * Knowledge Management

This component will focus on improving access and information and emerging knowledge on SMART sustainable Cities. The output of this component will be reflected on various social media platforms, webinars conferences, data portals and websites.


 * Peer to Peer Learning

Peer to peer learning exchange visits will be vital to inform the Implementation of County Integrated Development Plans (CIDP). This will compromise of literature reviews on trans-disciplinary research learning methods, conducting and monitoring impact of learning exchange on project developments in Mombasa, and securing EPIC coordinator for pilot program. Overall this project will;


 * 1) Facilitate learning, co-generation and co-creation of Knowledge among policymakers, urban researchers and other Stakeholders.
 * 2) Provide up-to-date information on the status of city systems.
 * 3) Chart pathways to a smart and sustainable coastal city of Mombasa.

Partnerships
County Government of Mombasa, EThekwini Municipality, Macquarie University, Witwaterands University, KMFRI, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) UN HabitatWWF Kenya.