This study, executed alongside another on Local Economic Development (LED), aimed at establishing a reliable evidence base with respect to public space and land management in Gulu and Mbale municipalities to foster equitable economic growth. It is expected that the findings from both studies will inform respective governance and decision-making processes towards improved service delivery and more equitable economic growth.

Public space is vital in shaping the socio-economies of cities by impacting land values, attracting investment and also the quality of life within. It provides critical ecosystem services, contributes to the regeneration and reviving of distressed neighbourhoods as well as contributing to character diversity. Well-planned, managed and designed public space therefore holds enormous potential for building and sustaining local economies and making cities socially and economically vibrant.

The key conclusions and recommendations in the report clearly identify: (a) gaps in the delivery of goods and services through effective public space and land management, particularly along local growth paths which impede equitable economic growth; (b) Specific challenges in accessing pubic space and land by different social and economic urban strata, including how access to these are also divided along gender lines; (c) opportunities, priority areas of improvement and key actions to encourage equitable economic growth through improved public space and land management that may be undertaken by (i) government agencies, particularly the municipal authorities; (ii) professional associations; (d) business entities and civil society organizations and (e) simplified benefit analysis to establish likely economic gains (benefits) from implementing those priority improvements in terms of local economic growth, personal incomes and other relevant economic indicators.