Dar Smart the City Territory: Towards a New Dimension

Abstract

This paper explores new approaches to defining and managing the city territory, focusing on Dar es Salaam as a case study. It analyses how cultural, spatial, and economic factors shape urban form, settlement patterns, and infrastructure integration. Drawing on strategic modelling from the World Bank, the research proposes a framework based on formality gradients, connectivity to the Bus Rapid Transit system, and integration with peri-urban agriculture. The study argues that such strategies can support sustainable urban metabolism, improve services, and reverse informal settlements into legality, while redefining urban–rural relations through innovative settlement typologies and spatial design.