Rwanda’s shiny, new cities will not paper over the deep scars of ethnic strife and genocide
Top-down urban planning, led by experts from abroad, could erase local, shared ideas of neighbourhoods and what they meant to residents.
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Over the past 17 years, Rwanda has cleared informal settlements to make way for modern urban construction. Kigali’s ambitious city master plan is expected to be fully realised by 2050. But what about the people who are pushed out in the process, and their memories? Shakirah E Hudani presents some of their stories in her new book Master Plans and Minor Acts: Repairing the City in Post-Genocide Rwanda. She answers questions about Kigali’s emergence from conflict, and what could be.
What has emerged from the state’s vision for Kigali?
Kigali was established as a colonial outpost in 1907 by German administrator Richard Kandt. The city became the capital of an independent Rwanda in 1962 but remained mostly an elite hub separated from rural areas of the country, where the majority of the population lived.
During the genocide against the Tutsi and soon thereafter, the city became a site of refuge for those fleeing the violence. Ultimately it became a site of resettlement as many returned from around the region and further afield to rebuild the capital.
Approximately 60% of Kigali’s population lived in informal settlements in 2012. Conceptual master planning for the city began in 2007-2008 and was initially led by American firm Oz Architects. This process was followed by a more extensive Singaporean designed master plan...
