Urban memory and identity weighed against economic investment in renewal projects : a case of Kisumu city, Kenya

Abstract

There have been limited efforts in using collective memory in representing public spaces and implementing urban renewal projects to maintain uniqueness. This article aims to investigate the role of urban landscape in shaping memories and proposes recommendations that reinforce urban landscape identity. This article postulates that a city’s individual and collective memory is important in maintaining its uniqueness in terms of urban landscape identity. A qualitative research design was adopted. Photo elicitation interviews (PEI) were used to investigate the features that triggered memory of the participants and were important in contributing to the image of Kisumu City. There were ongoing and completed urban renewal projects within Kisumu City, Kenya at the time of the study. 12 PEI participants were purposively selected in addition to four officials from the County Government as key informants and four professionals were interviewed. Field investigation by the researcher was carried out through mapping and photography. The study revealed that the old railway station as human-made element was instrumental in memory through historical development while socio-cultural activities at Kisumu Sports Grounds and social interaction at public Central Square were also highly regarded in memory development. Despite the important interplay of natural, human-made and social interactions in the formation of memory, place and identity, there was also a very positive response from residents on the new look of the city. The physical upgrade and cleaning of the city and its public spaces, which also means greater safety, was well appreciated from a socio-economic point of view.

In stedelike kontekste is geheue en plek onafskeidbaar en is dit belangrik vir identiteitsvorming. Individuele en kollektiewe herinneringe van die stad se inwoners koppel hul identiteit met plekidentiteit. Spesiale kenmerke in die landskap en stedelike struktuur help inwoners om te onderskei tussen en met die stad se identiteit te skakel. Die gebruik van kollektiewe geheue om stedelike identiteit te identifiseer en te behou tydens stedelike hernuwingsprojekte kry egter minder aandag as funksionele en ekonomiese beleggingsoorwegings. Hierdie artikel ondersoek die belangrikheid van stedelike landskapidentiteit tydens stedelike vernuwing. Dit postuleer dat ’n stad se individuele en kollektiewe geheue belangrik is om sy uniekheid in terme van stedelike landskapidentiteit te handhaaf, maar dit vereis ekonomiese belegging om basiese fisiese gemak en toegang te handhaaf. ’n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering met foto-ontlok onderhoude (PEI) is gebruik om die kenmerke te ondersoek wat die geheue van die deelnemers geaktiveer het en belangrik was om by te dra tot die beeld van Kisumu City, Kenia. Daar was deurlopende en voltooide stedelike hernuwingsprojekte binne Kisumu City ten tyde van die studie, wat dit ’n goeie gevallestudie vir post-koloniale Afrika gemaak het. Twaalf inwoners (as PEI-deelnemers), vier amptenare van die County Government en vier professionele persone is as sleutelinformante ondervra. ’n Veldondersoek is uitgevoer deur middel van kartering en fotografie bykomend tot ’n argiefbron-oorsig. Die studie het aan die lig gebring dat die ou spoorwegstasie, die hawe, en mark sterk in die kollektiewe geheue verskyn het as deel van historiese handelsontwikkeling. Ten spyte van die belangrike rol van burgerlike en administratiewe geboue uit die koloniale era in die vorming van geheue, plek, en identiteit, was daar ook ’n positiewe reaksie van inwoners op die ‘nuwe voorkoms’ van die stad. Die fisiese opgradering, ontstuwing en skoonmaak van die stad, sy strate en parke as openbare ruimtes, het gelei tot groter veiligheid en openbare gebruik, wat vanuit ’n beleggingsoogpunt goed waardeer is. Die studie beklemtoon die belangrikheid daarvan om die elemente wat geheue en identiteit ondersteun tydens stedelike hernuwingsprojekte te identifiseer, in ag te neem, en te behou as ewe belangrik aan ekonomiese ontwikkeling en funksionaliteit wanneer langtermyn volhoubaarheid oorweeg word.