Did you know that there is a worldwide trend towards energy efficient appliances and building materials? And did you know that growing awareness and appreciation of the environment is set to increase the demand for green buildings. Current improvements in design and technology offer new opportunities to be competitive in the domestic and international market. Green buildings generally offer a more comfortable, healthier and cost effective solution for living and working. To go green means to…

Thermal comfort in the built environment is affected by air temperature and air movement. Ventilation, which is simply the removal of stale indoor air from a building and its replacement with fresh outside air, has a great impact on thermal comfort.

The most significant factor affecting the built environment in the East Africa region is solar energy, which impacts on it throughout the year. The shapes of buildings and spaces have a great effect on indoor temperatures. When designing a new building, it is very important to pay attention to the needs of its users and to consider the environment they are likely to spend most of their time in. The building should be user friendly and comfortable. Factors to consider for adequate indoor comfort…

Climate is described as the average course or condition of the weather at a place usually over a period of years as exhibited by temperature, wind velocity, precipitation and humidity.

Over 70% of the world energy generation is consumed in human settlements, resulting in an emission of more than two thirds of CO2 that contributes to climate change. Widespread energy poverty and the increasing cost of fossil fuels are impacting negatively on the economic development and the living conditions of people.

This document discusses the existing legislation relating to Urban and Regional Planning in Kenya with a view to highlighting the opportunities and gaps that can be harnessed in respect to international, regional, national and county planning legal and regulatory framework, and planning processes. It aims at providing a nexus for engagement with the County governments of Kenya, to advance sustainable urban and rural settlements and promote the utilization of urban-rural linkages.

This report is based on the outcomes of the capacity development trainings that were undertaken in support to the implementation of the on-going Kenya Municipal Programme. It details outcomes of the first phase of the training that was done for the Kenya Municipal Programme Counties Clusters III (Machakos, Embu & Kiambu) and IV (Nyeri & Nakuru).

This book documents the processes, challenges and related successes of a pilot project on slum upgrading in Soweto East villages of Kibera informal settlement, Nairobi. As a post project intervention assessment report, it focuses on distilling
lessons learnt and best practices with a view of informing future strategies and policy decisions on slum upgrading interventions for similar urban settlements in any part of the world. The process of community engagement and their role
as…

Secure land and property rights for all are essential to reducing poverty because they underpin economic development and social inclusion. Secure land tenure and property rights enable people in urban and rural areas to invest in improved homes and livelihoods. Although many countries have completely restructured their legal and regulatory framework related to land and they have tried to harmonize modern statutory law with customary ones, millions of people around the world still have insecure…