Spatial Patterns of Residential Fragmentation and Quality of Life in Nairobi City, Kenya

Abstract

Residential fragmentation undermines integration by physically excluding some urban dwellers through walling, fencing and use of barriers limiting interactions. Research has shown that many cities in the Global South are experiencing spatial fragmentation issues associated with increasing inequalities, social exclusion and proliferation of gated communities. This results in distinct residential fragments with limited interactions and unequal quality of life (QoL) conditions of the residents of the fragments. The aim of this paper is to describe the association between residential fragmentation and QoL based on three residential fragments in the city of Nairobi (Kenia). A mixed method approach was applied to understand fragmentation in the city and analyse integration and QoL satisfaction in the fragments. Household surveys and key informant interviews were main data collection methods. Data analysis methods used included descriptive statistics, spatial and content analysis. The results show, as expected, slum residents felt the least integrated symbolically compared to the planned non-gated and gated community residents. Similarly, gated community residents have higher QoL satisfaction compared to other types of fragments. There is a strong positive correlation between symbolic integration and QoL domains related to housing and safety in the slum, indicating that people who are satisfied with housing also have a sense of belonging to their neighbourhood. In contrast, community integration has a negative correlation with safety in the gated community implying that when the residents are satisfied with safety, they tend to have low social networks. Based on the empirical evidence, fragmentation is related to specific domains of QoL as it is associated with spatial exclusion through barriers and gating and marginalization of the poor making it harder for them to feel integrated. The residential fragments reflect the intense divides in Global South cities in terms of QoL conditions and access to services.

Segregation and Life Satisfaction

“…Gibbons et al (2020) found that segregation is associated with clusters of poor health households albeit the final effect depends on races and ethnicities being poor-afro descent households the most affected group. Jimmy et al (2019) describe the association between residential segregation and quality of life in the city of Nairobi. They found a positive correlation between symbolic integration, safety, and quality of life related to housing in poor neighborhoods but a negative correlation of these variables in gated communities.…”

Quantification of Resilience Considering Different Migration Biographies: A Case Study of Pune, India

“…Several findings are of particular interest. First, resilience can vary greatly on small spatial scales, from neighborhood to neighborhood, which is linked with high differences in the availability of livelihood opportunities [68] and the nested, often informal built environment in cities such as Pune [69]. Second, comparing the total migration and non-migration cohorts, we noted a significantly higher resilience of those that have moved to Pune than those that were born in the city.…”