Paper short abstract:

The German-Rwandese project RAPID PLANNIG evaluates the legal & policy instruments to exploit the sustainability potential within urban planning processes to respond on urgent demands of district settlement and environmental infrastructure for the fast growing city Kigali.

Paper long abstract:

While the proliferation of mega cities postulates most of international headlines, much of the rapid growth raises tremendous importance also for smaller cities, which have usually less personal and natural resources to tackle fast urban development. The rapid growth of urban areas implies urgent responds by public authorities to plan and guide the increasing demands of district settlement and environmental infrastructure development (energy, water supply and wastewater management, solid waste management, urban agriculture). One of these smaller but fast growing African cities under pressure is the capital city of Rwanda. The population of Kigali has been increasing of almost 50% since 2002, accounting for 1.135.428 residents. Rwanda is challenging to keep up with the pace of growth and develop rapidly in compliance with the policy "Vision 2020" of a green growth capital city and the "Kigali City Master Plan".

Under the umbrella of the Future Megacities Research Program of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research and in collaboration with the City of Kigali, UN Habitat Kigali and the Rwanda University, 12 German research institutions are developing a rapid trans-sectoral urban planning methodology to use existing synergies of urban services and infrastructures to exploit the sustainability potential for Kigali (RAPID PLANNING). The study provides a critical discussion on the legal and policy framework of Rwanda to respond on rapid growth within urban planning procedures under sustainable premises. The objective is to indicate legal implications to foster transsectoral joint planning for green growth within public decision making processes in Kigali.