“There is an increasing importance being attached to public spaces and other municipal assets, such as land, in promoting inclusive and resilient cities.” So begins the most recent publication from The Cities Alliance Joint Work Programme for Equitable Economic Growth in Cities.

In “Losing Ground? The Unprecedented Shrinking of Public Spaces and Land in Ugandan Municipalities”—authored by a joint team of researchers from Makerere University and UNCDF (Paul Mukwaya, Dmitry Pozhidaev, Denis Tugume, and Peter Kasaija)—the authors intend to shed a light on the use and misuse of Ugandan municipalities’ most valuable resource: its urban land and public spaces.

The issue of land in Uganda has been a contentious one. As urban areas grow, public spaces risk becoming occupied, embezzled, and reallocated. This results in many municipal public spaces disappearing altogether. The shrinkage of public spaces, as well as the distressing rate they are being lost, has raised concern within various circles of civil society. Yet, there has been little or no concern from the respective government entities.

This publication was created to stress the critical importance of the continued loss of public lands, specifically by establishing a reliable evidence base as well as analyzing prevailing practices for public spaces and land management in Uganda. The authors explore two Ugandan municipalities as case studies, Mbale and Gulu, with the goal of situating the findings in a broader national context. The study draws valuable insight into how authorities in these two municipalities, and local governments in Uganda, could improve provision of public services for equitable, economic growth that benefits all citizens. In the process, these improvements would contribute to the achievement of the national SDG targets while leaving no one behind.

The report analyzes factors, structures and processes that affect urban public space and land management including:

1. Demographic trends and processes of municipal urbanization;
2. Multiple public space and management actors;
3. Existence of land cartels and syndicates;
4. Weak municipal planning institutions;
5. Fragmentation of public space planning and manipulation of legal regimes;
6. Inadequate municipal land regulation and enforcement of development controls;
7. Inadequate municipal budgets.

The study offers a number of short and long-term recommendations addressed to key groups of municipal stakeholders:

Political leadership and councilors are urged to take a deliberate stand to protect municipal public spaces and land. They should implement a fitter use of traditional values while promoting an overall sense of community. The key recommendations include regular public discussions, raising awareness and ensuring inclusive, participatory city planning.

Municipal administrations are encouraged to focus on realistic strategies and actionable plans for public space and land management: prioritizing proper planning, zoning, land and property surveys as well as registration; building partnerships with non-government and public sector organizations to finance the management of public space development; and vigorous enforcement of land use regulations.

Civil society organizations and the private sector are urged to integrate issues surrounding the use, maintenance and protection of public space and land in their programmes, activities, and business models.

The study also analyzes in detail the phenomenon of differentiated gender requirements and unequal access to public space and land between women and men in both municipalities. It also assesses the adverse impact of the continued loss of public space and land that disproportionately affects women and other vulnerable groups. In this respect, the publication suggests that municipal authorities should carefully design and protect public space with due regard to the specific social and economic needs of women and girls as well as their safety and security concerns. Some of the required features include the following: public restrooms, adequate signage, shade structures, sitting facilities, well-maintained paths, street lighting, and road furniture.

Another recommendation concerns planning for mixed land uses to generate users throughout the day, particularly in more secluded public spaces, such as parks to improve women’s safety. Adequate municipal regulation of economic activities is critical for improving public space accessibility to women who run 70% of micro and small businesses operating in streets and other public spaces.

As a vital puzzle piece for any prosperous, resilient city, the use of public space and land should not be undermined or disregarded. For a more in-depth analysis of the challenges of ensuring safe, productive public spaces in LDCs, as well as insightful data from the surveys conducted in both Mbale and Gulu municipalities, please download the full report on our website.