Why Laikipia Smart Towns Provide Immense Opportunities
Updated on: Nov 18, 2020
Researchers are predicting that Africas population will be more than triple by 2050, rising to an estimated 1.4 billion people. This sharp growth in population is expected to occur in urban environments as more young people migrate towards modern technology, connectivity, and entrepreneurial opportunities in city life.
But even with such developments, city planners are not al-ways prepared. The result is unregulated urban growth which puts a strain on social amenities such a transport, health and housing infrastructure.
Poor planning to accommodate the rural-urban migration will lead to a spike in the number of jobless people. Joblessness spawns informal settlements, which in turn puts pressure on waste management resulting in toxic environments for the populations living there.
For Laikipia, however, the government is determined to forestall the lurking social-economic dangers of poor urban planning. The ambitious Smart Towns Initiative seeks to establish people-friendly cities to accommodate this predictable surge in urban populations.
The urban renewal program itself has already created tens of direct and indirect jobs for the people working on the different projects of roads, water, lighting, bus stops and social facilities like parks and social halls. Jobs along the supply chain have also created for the locals.
Investments are set to stream into the smart towns, providing sustainable jobs to the hundreds of youth settling in the towns.
With the efforts to modernize towns in high gear across most of Laikipia towns, the county is readying itself to accommodate populations moving in-to the towns in well-planned, spacious towns conducive for youth entrepreneurial startups.
Street and market lighting initiatives, a component of the modern towns, will boost efforts to have 24-hour businesses.
The far-sighted strategy will see the future urban settlers benefit from adequate health, education, water, social and recreational services within reach.
But even with such developments, city planners are not al-ways prepared. The result is unregulated urban growth which puts a strain on social amenities such a transport, health and housing infrastructure.
Poor planning to accommodate the rural-urban migration will lead to a spike in the number of jobless people. Joblessness spawns informal settlements, which in turn puts pressure on waste management resulting in toxic environments for the populations living there.
For Laikipia, however, the government is determined to forestall the lurking social-economic dangers of poor urban planning. The ambitious Smart Towns Initiative seeks to establish people-friendly cities to accommodate this predictable surge in urban populations.
The urban renewal program itself has already created tens of direct and indirect jobs for the people working on the different projects of roads, water, lighting, bus stops and social facilities like parks and social halls. Jobs along the supply chain have also created for the locals.
Investments are set to stream into the smart towns, providing sustainable jobs to the hundreds of youth settling in the towns.
With the efforts to modernize towns in high gear across most of Laikipia towns, the county is readying itself to accommodate populations moving in-to the towns in well-planned, spacious towns conducive for youth entrepreneurial startups.
Street and market lighting initiatives, a component of the modern towns, will boost efforts to have 24-hour businesses.
The far-sighted strategy will see the future urban settlers benefit from adequate health, education, water, social and recreational services within reach.
