There are a number of new infrastructural developments happening in Dar es Salaam; 7 new flyovers, the Standard Gauge Railway network, extension of the BRT routes by DART, and the most spoken about, the new Tanzanite Bridge. The bridge will alleviate the traffic coming into and out of the city centre via Selander Bridge. Selander Bridge, measuring 85m, currently receives 42,000 vehicles daily. The late President John P. Magufuli admitted that the new bridge measuring 1.03km is projected to transport 120,000 vehicles daily. Tanzanite Bridge is widely celebrated by commuters and foreign investors as positive steps towards developing Dar es Salaam’s infrastructure network; however,  it does not address the social infrastructure of residents and users of the city.


Dar es Salaam is growing rapidly at 5.15% per annum, and is currently the fastest growing African City. The objective of this project is to create a platform for residents of Dar es Salaam which will cater for pedestrians and public transport users, and it is to publish current statistics and human activity surveys. The goal is to analyse street activity with the current condition and make informed recommendations for community engagement and implementation. The few public spaces that exist are poorly managed and new developments are designed without the consideration of the public realm. 30% of all road traffic incidents involving pedestrians result in death but the city is preparing for more vehicles.

The broader high-level impact on the community is creating a healthier environment for city users and habitants, reducing the carbon footprint left by vehicles and making the city safer for children and pedestrians. 43.55% of Tanzania’s population is between 0-14 years and the life expectancy is a staggering 65 years of age, it is a young population. In 2017, there were 7 vehicles for every 1000 people in Tanzania and 797 in the United States (OWD). Tanzania is predominantly a walking country. 


This research and implementation strategy is important because city inhabitants need a better designed city that encourages healthy behaviour, creates a better quality of life and increases life expectancy. We want to work with communities, Local Government Authorities (LGAs), stakeholders and developers. We want to make our research and findings public and freely accessible to the broader community in both Kiswahili and English. We want our strategies to be contextually applied in other neighbourhoods; for example a regenerative proposal for the recently burnt and historic Kariakoo market building. We think our research could be very impactful in the planning of our city. 

We (Alma and Edward) are two Tanzanian architects who have both practiced and contributed to the built environment in London, Melbourne, Johannesburg, and Dar es Salaam. We now individually live in close proximity to AHM Road and use it daily to commute to and from work. We met at work in January this year.  Out of frustration of the built form alone not being impactful to our local communities, we collectively wanted a change. We want to be able to safely walk around our neighbourhoods “without the fear of being dragged by vehicles.”


Alma lives in a National Housing Corporation flat (NHC - similar to the setup of London council flats) in Upanga right along AHM Road, and meets monthly with the neighbours in her building to discuss general housekeeping. They have agreed to take part in the survey to provide relevant data for our research. Edward lives in a relatively new building one block behind the top just before where AHM Road becomes Old Bagamoyo Road in a neighbourhood called Morocco. Morocco Square on the opposite side of AHM Road is part of an NHC mixed use development with offices, accommodation, retail and parking. It’s new 1200 sqm ‘square’ is internally located for the future residents: a missed opportunity. 


We know the city well and keep up to date with infrastructural changes to the city. We use the city and we want the city to improve while we are rapidly urbanising.