Khartoum and the Sustainable Urban Restructuring March for Absorption of Rapid Growth and Urban Changes

Abstract

The humanitarian priorities in development patterns has been an international concern, which makes environment and development issues cross-cutting and as a result of rapid urbanization phenomenon the concept of sustainable urban growth becomes urgent since cities are under constant physical and social changes. In addition, cities are made of different and often conflicting interests and landuses. They are therefore, in need of restructuring to contain these changes. Greater Khartoum is a typical example; it has been growing rapidly and is subjected to continual transformation. Khartoum started in the Independence Day (1/1/1956) by less than 3% of the total Sudanese population and this figure jumped to 16.8% in 2010 while the physical block grew beyond imagination. This paper presents a comprehensive restructuring programme that Khartoum implemented to accommodate the changes, at first absorbed the huge influxes of the rural uprooted population and later improved the physical environment. This included treatment of squatter settlements to strengthen the urban fabric, reallocation of incompatible urban functions, revitalization of the CBDs and other urban renewal schemes. People mobility, a major objective of the restructuring programme received most attention. Transportation lines were extended for more coverage of the road network and higher population concentrations in congested settlements were diluted, particularly the filthy slums. Re-planning of old neighbourhoods, traditional villages, etc was performed and urban utilities were expanded. Popular physical development was encouraged to keep pace with the burgeoning demographic explosion. Restructuring has also been employed for adoption of the appropriate local governance systems considering surplus population distribution, establishment of new local markets and other economic activities. The restructuring programme made positive effects in protecting the environment, attaining socioeconomic benefits, particularly activation of the urban economy. The main difficulties encountered were the problems associated with the relocation processes but relocation made the regularization possible thus attaining social justice.