Protect parks
Jul 13, 2005
FOUR acres of Centenary Park has been allocated to a Korean investor to put up a five star hotel for the Commonwealth Summit in 2007.
FOUR acres of Centenary Park has been allocated to a Korean investor to put up a five star hotel for the Commonwealth Summit in 2007.
Centenary Park suffered badly when Hotel Africana was constructed on its periphery. Then the Garden City complex was constructed in the wetland adjoining the Golf Course.
This new allocation by Kampala City Council will shrink the park to barely half its original size.
This is short-sighted. Yes, it is vital to have enough hotel space for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2007 but it is also critical that the city retains green spaces for the enjoyment of future generations. All great cities have parks at their centres.
The greenery of Kampala is taken for granted but it is steadily shrinking. In 20 years’ time, Kampala will be a single metropolis stretching 50 kilometres in every direction. This is inevitable since Uganda’s population will hit 50 million people by then.
This urban sprawl will eat up green spaces as property becomes more and more valuable. Without proper urban planning, Kampala will increasingly turn into an ugly concrete jungle.
Kampala’s attraction has always been that it is a green city. This heritage must not be squandered. In particular KCC should make an effort not just to protect existing parks but even to create new ones.
Centenary Park suffered badly when Hotel Africana was constructed on its periphery. Then the Garden City complex was constructed in the wetland adjoining the Golf Course.
This new allocation by Kampala City Council will shrink the park to barely half its original size.
This is short-sighted. Yes, it is vital to have enough hotel space for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2007 but it is also critical that the city retains green spaces for the enjoyment of future generations. All great cities have parks at their centres.
The greenery of Kampala is taken for granted but it is steadily shrinking. In 20 years’ time, Kampala will be a single metropolis stretching 50 kilometres in every direction. This is inevitable since Uganda’s population will hit 50 million people by then.
This urban sprawl will eat up green spaces as property becomes more and more valuable. Without proper urban planning, Kampala will increasingly turn into an ugly concrete jungle.
Kampala’s attraction has always been that it is a green city. This heritage must not be squandered. In particular KCC should make an effort not just to protect existing parks but even to create new ones.