Settlement Patterns in Somalia. A case study of Belet Weyne

According to most statistics, Somalia is one of the few countries whose population still resides predominately in rural area, although it is experiencing rapid urbanization, and projected to become predominately urban by 2050.

This study was developed to start a process of recognition of the complex reality that characterizes the Somali territorial system and a new conceptualization of urbanization trajectories in the country, which could be extended to the Horn of Africa Region.

It does so showing different possible visual representation of the ‘blended’ environments that fall outside the current definition of urban but cannot be fully described as rural, distinguishing several identified forms that can be categorized between the urban and the rural form.

In doing so, this study suggests an alternative reading of the territory and local and trans-local flows of people, goods, labour and capital, and emphasizes the agency of smaller settlements and the country system beyond the mechanisms of international aid, formal jurisdictions and competencies.