Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban

Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa:

The case of “Serategna Sefer” (Labourers Camp), Addis Ababa

Urban Design and Development M.SC Thesis

Woudenesh Birru

Advisor: Fasil Ghiorgis

Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and

City Development, Addis Ababa University

May, 2014
Addis Ababa
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

This thesis is submitted to the Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City
Development (EiABC) and to the School of Graduate Studies of Addis Ababa University in
partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Urban Design
Development.

Thesis Title: Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment

Programs of Addis Ababa. The case of “Serategna Safer” (Labourers Camp), Addis Ababa

By: Woudenesh Birru

Date: May, 2014

Approved by Board of Examiners:

Ato Fasil Ghiorgis (MSc) _________________ __________________

Advisor Signature Date

Alula Pankhurst (PhD) ____________________ _______________

External Examiner Signature Date

Ezana Yosef (MSc) ____________________ _______________

Internal Examiner Signature Date

Fiseha Wegayehue (PhD) ____________________ _______________

Chair Person Signature Date

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Declaration

I, the undersigned, declare that this thesis is my own and original work and has not been
presented for a degree in any other university, and that all sources of material used for the
thesis have been duly acknowledged, following the scientific guidelines of the institute.

Student Name: Woudenesh Birru

Signature: _________________

Confirmation

The thesis is submitted to the Institute with my approval as an Institute’s Advisor.

Advisor’s Name: Ato Fasil Ghiorgis

Signature: _________________

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Abstract
Historic resources are key ingredients in neighbourhood liveability, and quality of life. In an
increasingly fast-paced and ‘placeless’ form of urban development, the historic and architectural
characters are essential to the identity and uniqueness of a community. This identity helps to
create a sense of stability and enables an understanding of how this unique character, itself a
product of incremental development over time, can provide a direction and inspiration for the
form of future development. In the contrary inner-city historic resources become increasingly
neglected, misused and deteriorated as a result it lost its significance to a complete renewal.
This study, therefore, aims to assess the ongoing neglect and decay of historic inner-city
centres and the comprehensive redevelopment or urban renewal programs being undertaken in
the city of Addis Ababa by taking “Serategna Sefer” as a case study. Hence, the methodology
used for the research is a case study method and employed in an in-depth interview, structured
questionnaire, interviews and field observation to collect primary and secondary data.

Integrating the physical, social and cultural fabric of the inner-city centres in the current
comprehensive redevelopment program undertaken in the historic neighbourhood of Addis
Ababa and revitalizing the tangible (physical character) and the intangible (social and economic)
values of such inner-city centres is the main objective of the study, therefore, it focuses on how
the physical, socio-economic and cultural aspects can best be integrated in current urban
redevelopment programs by taking a case study of one of the oldest and indeed, well-known,
historic inner-city centres of Addis Ababa: “Seratagna Sefer”.

The findings of study show that there are ample opportunities and strengths for revitalizing the
urban pattern, socio-economic vibrancy, distinct character and architectural heritage of the
study area. Accordingly, the study proposes that due consideration be made on rehabilitating
the tangible and intangible heritage of the historic neighbourhood as well as the resident’s
participation in the design and execution of the inner-city improvement programs. Furthermore,
the study provides some solutions as to how the original community can be maintained as far as
possible and how low-income residents could be protected from the impact of relocation
including gentrification. Finally, the study focuses on improving the urban pattern and tissue of
this inner-city area which can enhance the historic quality of the mixed-use environment
adapted to modern conditions and requirements

Keywords: Inner-city historic neighbourhood; rehabilitation and revitalization; Incremental

development; participation

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Acknowledgements
I would like to express my utmost gratitude to my advisor, Ato Fasil Ghiorgis, for his faith in me
during my entire research project. In addition to his continuous motivation and support, he
always brought up innovative ideas that led to a very satisfying research and project experience.
I would also like to express my sincere thanks to my husband, Imeru Tamrat, for his unlimited
support throughout my studies until the completion of this thesis paper. If not for his
commitment, the success of this paper would not have seen the light of day. I would also like to
extend my deepest gratitude to my office Metaferia Consulting Engineers (MCE) for giving me
the opportunity and support to pursue the regular masters program at EiABC, and indeed, to all
the staff at MCE. I wish to particularly express my gratitude to W/t Haimanot Teshome of MCE
who with great pleasure assisted me in repeatedly editing and formatting this paper.
I would like to thank my colleagues at school Woubengeda, Eden & Annania for encouraging
me to continue the research on the subject matter and for their assistance on the maps and
drawings. Special thanks goes to my best friend Semuneguse Ayalew for helping me out for the
GIS maps he produced to illustrate the study site
Furthermore, my deepest thanks go to the residents of “Serategna Sefer” who gave me all the
information I need in the time of data collection and analysis. Special thanks go to W/o Truwork,
W/t Zinash, and Ato Zelalem the data collectors worth mentioning.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Table of Contents
ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................................... III
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................................................... IV

ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................................................................ X
TERMINOLOGIES ............................................................................................................................................... XI

1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................................ 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem .................................................................................................................. 2
1.3 Research Objectives ................................................................................................................................. 4
1.4 Research Questions.................................................................................................................................. 4
1.5 Scope of the Study .................................................................................................................................... 5
1.6 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................................................ 5
1.7 Research Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 6
1.7.1 Selection of the Case study Area..................................................................................................................... 6
1.7.2 The Type of the Research ................................................................................................................................ 6
1.7.3 Data sources and method of Data collection ................................................................................................. 6
1.7.4 Sampling Techniques .................................................................................................................................. 7
1.7.5 Sample Size ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
1.7.6 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................................................. 8
1.8 Limitations of the Study ........................................................................................................................... 8
1.9 Research Design ........................................................................................................................................ 9

2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................... 10

2.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 10

2.2 Theories, Concepts and Definition of Terms .................................................................................... 10
2.2.1 Planned versus non-planned (Organic) cities........................................................................................ 10
2.2.2 Inner City ..................................................................................................................................................... 11
2.2.3 Inner-City as Urban Heritage ................................................................................................................... 13
2.2.4 Inner-City Decay ........................................................................................................................................ 15
2.2.5 Urban Policies and Approaches to Inner City Neighbourhood Development ................................... 16
2.2.6 Sustainable Urbanism ............................................................................................................................... 18
2.2.7 Modernism.................................................................................................................................................... 20
2.2.8 ‘Traditional’ and ‘Modernist’ Urbanism ....................................................................................................... 22
2.2.9 Urban Acupuncture....................................................................................................................................... 23
2.3 Some Relevant Inner-City Case Studies and Experiences ........................................................... 24
2.3.1 A Local Authority Approach to Revitalization:........................................................................................ 24
2.3.2 Beyond Brasilia – contemporary urban design in Brazil (Vincent del Rio, 2005) ............................. 26
3 CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................... 34

3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 34

3.2 Historical Development and Change ................................................................................................. 34
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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

3.2.1 Spontaneous Growth and Spatial Structures of Addis Ababa ............................................................ 34

3.2.2 Change in the Settlement Pattern ........................................................................................................... 36
3.2.3 The Current Situation of Inner-City in Addis Ababa.............................................................................. 37
3.2.4 Urban Disinvestment ................................................................................................................................. 38
3.2.5 Cultural Spaces Misused .......................................................................................................................... 39
3.3 Current Inner-city Renewal Approach in Addis Ababa ................................................................. 40
3.4 The Impact of Renewal in the inner-city Areas ................................................................................ 41

4 CASE STUDY: ‘SERATEGNA SEFER’/LABOURERS’ CAMP/ ............................................................................ 42

4.1 NEIGHBOURHOOD CHARACTER ................................................................................................................... 42

4.1.1 Site Location ............................................................................................................................................... 42
4.1.2 Topography and Slope Analysis .............................................................................................................. 43
4.1.3 Existing Land Use ...................................................................................................................................... 43
4.1.4 Integration to the surrounding .................................................................................................................. 44
4.1.5 History of the Area and Personal Accounts of Residents .................................................................... 44
4.1.6 Elements of Urban Tissue ........................................................................................................................ 45
4.2 PHYSICAL SETTING ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................ 46
4.1.7 Spatial Relationships and Typologies ..................................................................................................... 46
4.1.8 Layout and Form of spaces / buildings ................................................................................................... 47
4.1.9 Changes in the Neighbourhood ............................................................................................................... 49
4.1.10 Buildings with Architectural and Historical Significance ....................................................................... 49
4.1.11 Buildings with Aesthetic Character .......................................................................................................... 51
4.1.12 Housing Status and Construction Material ............................................................................................. 53
4.1.13 Utility Services and Infrastructure ............................................................................................................ 56
4.2 Streetscape and Public Realm ............................................................................................................. 60
4.2.1 Permeability /Accessibility/ ....................................................................................................................... 60
4.2.2 Main Street Character ............................................................................................................................... 61
4.2.3 Non-Physical Setting Analysis ................................................................................................................. 67
4.2.4 Socio-economic situation .......................................................................................................................... 67
4.2.5 Relocation ................................................................................................................................................... 74
4.3 Summary of Findings ........................................................................................................................... 79
4.3.1 Spatial use (existing land use) ................................................................................................................. 79
4.3.2 Resident s Economic Activity ................................................................................................................... 80
4.3.3 Social Ties among the Residents and the Use of Functional Spaces .............................................. 81
4.3.4 Environmental Situation ............................................................................................................................ 81

5 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................................... 82

6 RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................................... 85
7 URBAN DESIGN PROPOSAL ....................................................................................................................... 89

7.1 Urban Design Concept Development ................................................................................................. 91

7.2 Urban Design Principles and Tools .................................................................................................... 92
7.3 Design Proposal....................................................................................................................................... 93

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

8 IMPLEMENTATION ................................................................................................................................. 106

8.1 Rehabilitation of Buildings with Historic and Architectural significance .............................. 106
8.2 Economic Regeneration on ‘Housing’ in the Historic Neighbourhood ................................... 106
8.3 SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES ................................................................ 108
8.4 Institutional Arrangements ................................................................................................................. 114

BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................................... 116

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

List of figures

FIGURE 1‐1: INDICATING LOCATIONS FOR “A FOCUSED GROUP DISCUSSION AND STRUCTURED INTERVIEW” ............... 7
FIGURE 2‐1: SENSE OF PLACE............................................................................................................................................. 14
FIGURE 2‐2: SUSTAINABLE URBANISM ................................................................................................................................. 19
FIGURE 2‐3: CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS IN TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL AND MIXED‐USE STREETS ARE STRONG ELEMENTS OF THE NEW THE
BRAZILIAN CITYSCAPE. .............................................................................................................................................. 27
FIGURE 2‐4: LATE MODERNISM IN BRASILIA: TAGUATINGA SATELLITE TOWN (LEFT) AND THE NEW SUBURBAN DISTRICT OF AGUAS CLARA
(RIGHT). ................................................................................................................................................................ 28
FIGURE 2‐5: DOWNTOWN CULTURAL CORRIDOR AND PRESERVED BUILDINGS ............................................................................... 29
FIGURE 2‐6: OUTLET SHOPPING DISTRICT IN PORTO ALEGRE ..................................................................................................... 30
FIGURE 2‐7: RENOVATED PUBLIC SPACES BY RIO CIDADE PROJECTS IN MEIER AND LEBLON............................................................. 31
FIGURE 2‐8: LEFT OVER SPACES ARE UTILIZED TO CREATE NEW CONNECTIONS .............................................................................. 31
FIGURE 2‐9: ALMOST 100 SQUATTER SETTLEMENTS UPGRADED ............................................................................................... 32
FIGURE 3‐1: ADDIS ABABA, 1989 ...................................................................................................................................... 34
FIGURE 3‐2:THE FIRST TENTS AROUND ‘FILWEHA’ THE HOT SPRING ........................................................................................... 35
FIGURE 3‐3: SPONTANEOUS GROWTH.................................................................................................................................. 35
FIGURE 4‐1: ARADA SUB‐CITY & THE NEIGHBOURING ‘SEFER’ ................................................................................................... 42
FIGURE 4‐2: TOPOGRAPHIC AND SLOPE MAP ........................................................................................................................ 43
FIGURE 4‐3: EXISTING LAND USE ........................................................................................................................................ 43
FIGURE 4‐4: THE STUDY AREA AND ITS INTEGRATION ............................................................................................................... 44
FIGURE 4‐5: IN‐FILLS & STREET – LINERS .............................................................................................................................. 45
FIGURE 4‐6: SERATEGNA SEFER .......................................................................................................................................... 46
FIGURE 4‐7: FIGURE – GROUND RELATIONSHIPS AND TYPOLOGIES ............................................................................................ 46
FIGURE 4‐8: KITIYA HOUSES ............................................................................................................................................... 48
FIGURE 4‐9: KITIYA HOUSES ............................................................................................................................................... 48
FIGURE 4‐10: BUILDINGS WITH ARCHITECTURAL AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE.......................................................................... 50
FIGURE 4‐11: SELECTED BUILDINGS .................................................................................................................................... 50
FIGURE 4‐12: HISTORIC BUILDINGS IN ARADA SUB‐CITY ......................................................................................................... 51
FIGURE 4‐13: BUILDINGS WITH AESTHETIC CHARACTER ......................................................................................................... 52
FIGURE 4‐14: HOUSING UNIT CONDITION ............................................................................................................................. 53
FIGURE 4‐15: WALL MATERIAL ........................................................................................................................................... 54
FIGURE 4‐16: FLOOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL .................................................................................................................... 55
FIGURE 4‐17: ROOF MATERIAL ........................................................................................................................................... 55
FIGURE 4‐18: PUBLIC STAND PIPE “BONO” .......................................................................................................................... 57
FIGURE 4‐19: PUBLIC TOILET FACILITIES ............................................................................................................................... 57
FIGURE 4‐20: KITCHEN FACILITIES ....................................................................................................................................... 58
FIGURE 4‐21: LIQUID WASTE DISPOSAL ................................................................................................................................ 59
FIGURE 4‐22: ELECTRICITY ................................................................................................................................................ 59
FIGURE 4‐23:, ‘SERATENGA SEFER’ LOCAL STREETS ................................................................................................................ 60
FIGURE 4‐24: EXISTING ROAD NETWORK ............................................................................................................................. 61
FIGURE 4‐25: WIDE STREET/VIEW PORTS/OVER VIEWS ........................................................................................................... 62
FIGURE 4‐26: STREET CORNER ........................................................................................................................................... 63
FIGURE 4‐27: STREET CORNER ........................................................................................................................................... 63
FIGURE 4‐28: NARROW AND WINDING STREETS .................................................................................................................... 64
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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

FIGURE 4‐29: BACK SIDE STREET ......................................................................................................................................... 65

FIGURE 4‐30: STAIRS....................................................................................................................................................... 65
FIGURE 4‐31: HIERARCHY OF THE SPACE ............................................................................................................................... 66
FIGURE 4‐32: TENURE STATUS ........................................................................................................................................... 67
FIGURE 4‐33: DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTIC...................................................................................................................... 68
FIGURE 4‐34: MARITAL STATUS ......................................................................................................................................... 68
FIGURE 4‐35: COMPOSITION OF HOUSE HOLDS ...................................................................................................................... 69
FIGURE 4‐36: HOUSEHOLD OCCUPANCY ............................................................................................................................... 70
FIGURE 4‐37: HOUSING UNITS............................................................................................................................................ 70
FIGURE 4‐39: LITERACY .................................................................................................................................................... 71
FIGURE 4‐38: HOUSEHOLD INTERVIEWS ............................................................................................................................... 71
FIGURE 4‐40: HOUSEHOLD HEADS BY LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND SEX .......................................................................................... 72
FIGURE 4‐41: EMPLOYMENT STATUS ................................................................................................................................... 72
FIGURE 4‐42: EMPLOYMENT STATUS ................................................................................................................................... 72
FIGURE 4‐43: MODE OF TRANSPORT TO WORK PLACE.............................................................................................................. 73
FIGURE 4‐44: MONTHLY INCOME ........................................................................................................................................ 74
FIGURE 4‐45: DESIRE TO MOVE .......................................................................................................................................... 74
FIGURE 4‐46: RESPONDENTS MOST LIKE ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD .................................................................................... 76
FIGURE 4‐47: WHAT RESPONDENT S LEAST LIKE THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD .................................................................................... 76
FIGURE 4‐48: DISCUSSION WITH STUDENTS, LOCATION OF THE SCHOOL AND STUDENT’S SKETCHES ................................................... 77
FIGURE 4‐49: REPAIRING THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD ................................................................................................................. 78
FIGURE 6‐1: SWOT......................................................................................................................................................... 88
FIGURE 7‐1: FACETS OF URBAN DECAY IN THE INNER CITY‐ ....................................................................................................... 90
FIGURE 7‐2: POTENTIALS AND CONSTRAINT MAP ................................................................................................................... 90
FIGURE 7‐3: CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................................................. 91
FIGURE 7‐4: INSTITUTIONAL AND URBAN MANAGEMENT INSTRUMENTS FOR INNER CITY REVITALIZATION, ......................................... 91
FIGURE 7‐5: URBAN DESIGN PRINCIPLES .............................................................................................................................. 92
FIGURE 7‐6: ENRICHING THE HISTORIC BUILT UP STRUCTURES ................................................................................................... 93
FIGURE 7‐7 : SELECTED HISTORIC BUILDINGS ......................................................................................................................... 94
FIGURE 7‐8: PROPOSED ROAD NETWORK............................................................................................................................. 95
FIGURE 7‐9: SECTION – I ON THE MAIN ROAD ...................................................................................................................... 96
FIGURE 7‐10: SECTION – II ON THE COLLECTOR ROAD ............................................................................................................ 97
FIGURE 7‐11: SECTION – III ON THE STEEP GROUND / COLLECTOR ROAD.................................................................................... 97
FIGURE 7‐12: MORPHOLOGY, LAND USE & GREEN SPACE ....................................................................................................... 98
FIGURE 7‐13: LAYER MAP & LAND‐USE PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION ......................................................................................... 99
FIGURE 7‐14: SITE CROSS SECTIONS .................................................................................................................................. 102
FIGURE 7‐15: BUILDING HEIGHT ...................................................................................................................................... 103
FIGURE 7‐16: TYPOLOGY ONE, TWO & THREE ..................................................................................................................... 105
FIGURE 8-1:‘IKUB’ & “IDIR’ ...................................................................................................................................... 107
FIGURE 8‐2: A LUXURY DOUBLE‐STORY HOUSE .................................................................................................................... 110
FIGURE 8‐3: ADOBE BRICK HOMES, LYNEDOCH ECO‐VILLAGE ................................................................................................. 110
FIGURE 8‐4: TRAINING GIVEN TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS ...................................................................................................... 111
FIGURE 8‐5: A MANUALLY PRESSED CSSB AND INTERLOCKING CSSB AT STVC.......................................................................... 112
FIGURE 8‐6: CSSB USED IN OFFICE BUILDING ...................................................................................................................... 112
FIGURE 8‐7: SUSTAINABLE PREFABRICATED CONCRETE STRUCTURE .......................................................................................... 113

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Acronyms
AARHA: Agency for Administration of Rental Houses

AB: Adobe Blocks (mud blocks containing soil, grass and water)

AS: Arterial Street

CARE: Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere

CBD: City Business District

CCF: Community based Children’s Fund

CSSB: Cement Stabilised Soil Block (contain soil, cement and water)

CIF: Corrugated Iron Sheet

CSEB: Compressed Stabilized Concrete Blocks

HBE: Home Based Enterprises

HCB: Hollow Concrete Block

HMF: Housing Microfinance

LDP: Local Development Plan

LS: Local Street

NGO: Non Governmental Organizations

SAS: Sub-Arterial Street

STVC: Selam Technical and Vocational Center

SME: Small Scale Enterprises

TND: Traditional Neighbourhood Design

UNESCO: United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Terminologies
Arada: Local name for the neighbourhood which is called ‘Piazza’

Atikelt Tera: Well known vegetable market in Addis Ababa

Birr: Ethiopian Currency Unit

‘Bono Weha’: public stand pipe

‘Chat’: chewable leaf for getting stimulated

‘Debal’: ‘in-letting’ (a means of income for some residents)

Ekub: traditional saving association between 10 to 15 individuals grouped together and contribute equal
amount of money on agreed regular time. The accumulated sum is taken by one of the member. The
cycle continuous till all the members got their share of contributions.

Favela: Squatter Settlement in Brazil

Filweha: The hot spring where the city is born

Gebbi: Local name for King Minlik’s palace

Gulit: Traditional market

Idir: idir is a traditional association set for mutual assistance for communal happenings of a family like
wedding, mourning, etc.

Kitiya: Extension and modification of a house by the household mainly without the intervention of
professional and without building permit

Kebele: the smallest local administration for about 200 household

Merkato ‘Market’: the biggest open market in ‘Africa’

Mahiber: Traditional Association set for mutual assistance between friends

Ras and Dejazmach/Grazemach: rank for dignitary in the imperial era

Sefer: A series of quarters or neighbourhood

Serategna sefer: ‘labourer’s camp’ or the case study neighbourhood

‘Shisha’: a water-pipe, popular in many Arab countries, in which fruit-scented tobacco is burnt using coal,
passed through an ornate water vessel and inhaled through a hose.

Woreda: a local administration at a higher level than kebele administration.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

1 Introduction
1.1 Background
Cities are built over a period of time, which may combine both formal
planning and natural development that shape the city structure in its
evolution. (Spiro K. Kostof, 1999)

Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, has grown in size, scale and extent in its historical and
morphological evolution to where it is today. Accordingly, its urban function has developed and
changed over time to meet its political, socio-economic and environmental demands.

At the outset, the city developed spontaneously and organically along the indigenous pattern of
settlement with small scattered villages called ‘sefers’, mainly associated with the nobility and
chiefs of the time, their followers and army, people working for the palace ‘Gebbi’ and
composed of different ethnic groups.

Most of the old inner-city neighbourhoods in Addis Ababa have, in large part, remained
undeveloped and have grown in a spontaneous manner with long years of economic stagnation
and neglect. As a result, these inner-city neighbourhoods are usually characterized as having
high population congestion and overcrowding of dwellings; poor service and utilities; depressing
economic conditions; dilapidated building stocks associated with a relatively high crime rate.
Accordingly, some literatures consider these old inner-city neighbourhoods as “slums” (Elias Y.,
2008).

In fact, the mixed nature of the inner-city neighbourhoods are recognized as a dynamic physical,
economic and social interactions that have a powerful tangible and intangible context “...that are
both remembered by residents and manifested by the existing urban fabric” (S.Detrick & C. Ellis,
2004). This makes inner-city neighbourhoods in Addis Ababa quite vibrant with their own merits
deserving their integration into urban renewal programs that take into account their physical,
social, historical and cultural context, urban spaces, local economies, infrastructure and
services and bringing them back to the city’s urban system.

Addis Ababa has gone through several stages of change, both in planned and unplanned
manner. The 1994, the city Master plan introduced utility systems and road networks as major
planning instruments and it focused mostly on new large residential development sites on the
outskirts and the extension of road networks towards those sites as well as connections to
neighbouring cities. The city Administration initiated a revision of master plan in 2003 with the
vision plan that is responsive to Market- economy. In this light it attempts to re-organize major

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

functional areas of the city and introduced a double ring road system for better accessibility to
all parts. Various ‘sefer’ areas were destroyed by those road projects or were simply cut in half.
(Dirk H. & Elias Y. 2012)

Recently, a comprehensive redevelopment program is being undertaken in the fast growing city
of Addis Ababa which is a concern for the once shining historic neighbourhoods. Fourteen new
major urban projects in six districts, covering more than 280 hectares of land in the core area of
Addis Ababa are in planning to be redeveloped under the urban renewal strategy or already
under construction. Higher densities, better living conditions, connection to urban utilities, safety
and economic prosperity are the guidelines for those developments.( Dirk H. & Elias Y. 2012)
The renewal programs intend instead of maintaining the heritage assets so as to transmit them
to the next generation and revitalize them to become income generating as well as integrating
such important inner-city neighbourhoods in the attempt to undertake urban renewal, the current
practice predominantly is in the direction of demolishing old neighbourhoods and relocating
residents to other areas, usually peripheral areas, of Addis Ababa. Moreover, it is not only the
structural part that is in danger but also the livelihood of the inhabitants which is reflected in the
social identity and the economic values of concern to the current residents. Maintaining a
neighbourhood heritage is not only about the structural/physical part but also about
strengthening the social and economic values of the historic neighbourhood. According to Del
Rio (1994) “inner-city revitalization means above all the recovery of its former meaning for the
population, its central functions, it’s symbolic role and the sense of place in the city. (Acioly,
1999)

Accordingly, this study intends to examine the ongoing redevelopment programs taking place in
Addis Ababa, more specifically in the study area of ‘Serategna Sefer’, which is the study area,
and to propose an alternative design solution to maintain the inner-city neighbourhood as an
integral part.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

In recent times, the Addis Ababa City Administration has been undertaking inner-city
redevelopment projects in various parts of Addis Ababa including in the old and historically
significant inner-city neighbourhoods. The basic policy thrust of these inner-city redevelopment
projects seem to be intended to meeting the emerging demands of the market by way of
attracting private investments in conductive inner-city centres for the development of real estate
markets; high rise buildings for up-coming businesses and the building of high-end
accommodation for those who can afford it. At the same time, the objective seems to be

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

directed to creating a visually attractive city image by transforming the physical, social and
economic profile of these inner-city areas which is considered to meet the demands of
“modernity”.

The inner-city redevelopment initiative has also resulted in the demolition of mostly derelict
structures but also premises in relatively good condition as well as, in some cases, important
historical buildings and artefacts coupled with the relocation of a significant number of residents
mostly to outlying areas of the city. Studies indicate that this has led to social disruption; high
costs of transportation and lack of easy access to employment opportunities for those who have
been relocated from the inner-city neighbourhoods (Ashenafi G. [2001], Miheretu T. [2005],
Ezana H. [2011]).

Of particular concern to this study is the issue that the current urban redevelopment initiative
has not appropriately taken into account other potential and viable alternatives/approaches that
provide opportunities for revitalizing inner-city neighbourhoods and that respond to clearly
defined priorities and social needs. Inner-city neighbourhoods have a powerful urban context in
both tangible/physical, and intangible terms as well as in creating economic opportunities for
low-income households; private actors and other relevant stakeholders. They have a dynamic
past that is cherished by the residents and other member of the urban population. This calls for
reassessing current approaches taken in Addis Ababa during the course of redeveloping its
inner-city areas. It is seldom that the current redevelopment approach in the inner-city areas of
Addis Ababa has adequately considered the importance of maintaining the tangible and
intangible urban heritage aspects of the inner-city neighbourhoods of Addis Ababa which
arguably have a good economic potential.

This paper argues that there are ample opportunities and strengths for revitalizing inner-city
neighbourhoods if the necessary prerequisites are fulfilled since they are the vibrant heart of the
city of Addis Ababa with a range of economic and accessibility alternatives, distinct
characteristics and important centres of urban and architectural heritage. By understanding the
importance of tangible and intangible heritage of the historic neighbourhood as well as by
studying how the residents can participate in the formation and execution of the inner-city
improvement programs, the study will investigate and examine viable solutions as to how the
original community can be maintained as far as possible and how low-income residents could
be protected from the impact of relocation including gentrification. Finally, the study will focus on
how best to achieve the urban pattern and tissue of this inner-city area which can enhance the
historic quality of the mixed-use environment adapted to modern conditions and requirements
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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

1.3 Research Objectives

The overall objective of this study is to propose an integrated inner-city neighbourhood into the
current redevelopment process by giving due attention to urban design that has the potential to
improve the quality, sustainability, marketability and community acceptance of inner-city
renewal.

Specific Objectives:

a) To make a contribution to our knowledge and better understanding of how inner-city

heritage neighbourhoods and cultural values are affected by the phenomenon of inner-city
redevelopment as currently taking place in Addis Ababa.
b) To assess the potentials and limitations of ‘Serategna Sefer’ and to propose with a view to
integrate the study area with the existing urban development process taking place in the city
while at the same time maintaining the genuine physical, social, historical and cultural
features such as old buildings with architectural and aesthetic values that responds to local
needs and priorities.
c) To investigate how the inhabitants of the study area perceive the tangible and the intangible
socio-economic and cultural values that are affected by the phenomenon of urban
redevelopment in the city.
d) To propose a viable urban design solution that is compatible with maintaining social
cohesion; the genuine character of the study area and trigger local economic development,
for instance through promoting tourism, or culturally – based image building development.

1.4 Research Questions

The research question is about how to address the challenges of the existing redevelopment
process that is on-going in Addis Ababa in order to seek a viable solution of integrating the
tangible and intangible values of the historic neighbourhood of ‘Sertagena Sefer’ within this
process. In light of this, the specific research questions are:

a) What are the tangible and intangible values that worth maintaining in the study area?
b) How can the tangible and intangible values of inner-city centres be maintained by providing
appropriate infrastructure and facilities as well as promoting the livelihood of their
inhabitants through triggering economic growth and creating healthy living environment?
c) What options are there to fulfil today’s needs of modernity without completely destroying the
traditional ways of living to make them liveable and sustainable?

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

d) What lessons can we learn from the international experience regarding how inner-city
historic neighbourhoods have been integrated in urban redevelopment programs?
e) How can gentrification be avoided in the process of improving the urban‐quality of the heritage
neighbourhood?
f) What contribution does urban design offer for inner-city development programs that may
help to improve and bring about sustainable urban development?

1.5 Scope of the Study

Urban redevelopment of heritage neighbourhoods interlink with various issues such as the
demolishing of old buildings, upsetting existing social structures and the potential of resulting in
the economic and identity crises of its inhabitants. Consequently, the study will focus on the
specific aspect of maintaining the functions that have been in place for decades in the
settlement pattern of ‘Serategna Sefer’ which consist of morphological elements such as: street
patterns, social and cultural heritage as well as building character and uniqueness of the urban
quality in order to help integrate these elements within the overall urban development process
taking place in Addis Ababa.

The case study area covers one of Emperor Menelik’s footprints-the historic neighborhood of
‘Serategna sefer’- which is located in the old city core area of ‘Arada’. The site is selected taking
into consideration the distinct characters of the buildings of different architectural styles from
Armenian, Italian, and Indian residents. The winding street patterns that follow the contour of the
terrain, the social structure where people live in close proximity and the economic viability are
also the main focus of the study.

1.6 Significance of the Study

To date, the inherent link between urban design and the appropriate approach to inner-city
redevelopment has not been adequately examined particularly in the context of the fast-
developing city of Addis Ababa. The paper, therefore, attempts to offer a viable alternative on
the potential that urban design can offer to inner-city renewal programs by taking one of the
well-known inner-city neighbourhoods of Addis Ababa: “Serategna Sefer”. In addition, although
the current urban redevelopment program has not yet been implemented in this inner-city
neighbourhood, It is hoped that the findings of this paper may have some influence in the
approach that needs to be taken in the course of operationalizing the urban redevelopment
program within this specific area and indeed in the other parts of the city, and therefore inspire
further research in the area.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

1.7 Research Methodology

This chapter will briefly describe the methodology used, namely: the criteria for the selection of
the study area, type of research method, data sources and data collecting methods, and the
sampling size and technique used for the analysis of the case study area.

1.7.1 Selection of the Case study Area

The case study area was selected based on the following criteria: the site ‘serategna sefer’ is
located in the historic inner-city of Piazza neighbourhood which is the earliest establishment of
settlements in Addis Ababa, the organic urban character, the tangible and intangible heritage
values, the decline of the old neighbourhood and redevelopment incompatibility issues that
taking place in the historic inner-city neighbourhoods and the need for intervention.

1.7.2 The Type of the Research

The research type is a case study method which helps to understand the physical, social,
economic and environmental characters of the study area. According to Yin R. (1994), case
studies are prefered strategy when “how” and “why” questions are being posed, when the
investigator has little control over events, and when the focus is on contemporary phenomenon
within some real-life context.

The case study is a way of investigating an empirical topic by following a set of pre-specified
procedures. It involves the collection, recording and analysis of a single case or a number of
cases. It can be based on any mix of quantitative and qualitative evidence. another quality of the
case study method is that it provides opportunity for the investigation to apply a range of data
collection techniques and use evidence from multiple source which are archival records,
documents, observations (direct and participant), structured interviews and surveys, focused
interviews and open-end interview ( Ashenafi G., 2001)

1.7.3 Data sources and method of Data collection

The methodology followed while undertaking this research is the use of both primary and
secondary sources. The primary data was generated through field survey of the study area;
conducting in in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, use of qualitative methods of data
collection with structured questionnaires and informal discussions with the residents in the area
and other relevant stakeholders which include experts from the Arada sub-city; an expert in the
Addis Ababa master plan office, municipal government employees concerned with the planning
aspect and NGO experts working in Arada sub-city. Personal observation of the study area was
also carried out by the researcher as a means of generating primary data by using camera in
order to strengthen the quantitative and qualitative information obtained from the interviews.
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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Secondary data was generated from official records, previously conducted studies, book
publications, journal articles, reports, assorted other documents and maps relevant for the
issue.

Respondents for structured interview were from different ownership groups such as historic
building owners, tenants of historic and non historic buildings; people living in informally built
houses and those who live in condominium houses located at the periphery but work in the
study area. In the focused group discussion women household heads were the main
participants compared to men household participants. The interview was prepared in Amharic
and contained issues related to socio-economic status of residents; their perception towards
current urban redevelopment programs taking place in the city; situation of housing; services
and facilities in the area; views and expectation of the residents on their historic neighbourhood
etc. (See Annex -1 for sample questionnaire).
1.7.4 Sampling Techniques
After selecting the area and deciding how the data
is going to be collected, the next step was the
technique for taking samples that cover the whole
area. The data was collected in two categories.
Firstly, since the residents in the study area are
mainly low-income groups, samples were taken
randomly; the doted marks in the figure show the
area for focused group discussions. Secondly, a
specific area was selected in order to carry out an
urban design proposal for a specific investigation
using structured interview. All is demonstrated in
the Figure1-1.

Selected spots for focused group

Area of structured interview
Selected Historic buildings

Figure 1‐1: Indicating locations for “a focused group discussion and structured interview”
Source: own computation, 2013

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

1.7.5 Sample Size

In order to get sufficient information as design inputs the researcher took a 5% population size
from a total of 3000 inhabitants in the study area which is based on the information given by the
kebele 13 health extension office. From the total of 145 people, 50 inhabitants participated in
the structured interviews, 74 inhabitants men and women participated in the focus group
discussions and 21 people randomly selected, who frequently come to the Piazza area, were
asked questions and participated in the discussion in cafes and on the streets of the
neighbourhood. In addition to this, government officials working in the area of study and NGO
experts also participated in the in-depth interviews.

1.7.6 Data Analysis

Collected primary data was summarized in short so as to create a coherent story. The
secondary material was used as a supplement data for the primary data. In addition, the data
presentation is supplemented with photographs and maps. The presentation and organizational
framework of the analysis follows the sequence of specific objectives of the study.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

The study has a few limitations. The first one to be mentioned is that some of the participants in
the focus group discussion were reluctant to participate in the discussion thinking that the area
was going to be demolished and leased for investment. Therefore, some have the view that
there was no need for wasting time in unfruitful discussions. The second limitation was that the
information on the Nortech map does not give the latest information about the changes on the
existing features on the ground. The third limitation was getting clear information regarding the
selection criteria used for historic buildings to be categorized as a heritage as well as
mechanisms that has been set by the concerned authorities in order to safeguard them.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

1.9 Research Design

The following flow chart depicts the logical steps carried out in the course of the Research

Problem Identification

L Problem Definition
i
t Formulation of research
objectives and research question
e
r
Proposal
a
Data Organization Intervention Concept, Principles
t Approaches & tools
u Identification of data
r required

e Design Proposal
Secondary Data
Primary Data • Books
R • Interview • Assorted documents Implementation
e • Observation • Maps Strategies
v
i
Analysis
e
w

Findings

Socio-economic data
Physical analysis
analysis

Findings

Conclusion

Recommendations

Fig. 1.2 Research Design

Source: Own Computation, 2013

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

2 Theoretical Background
“History and Art Died for the Sake of ‘Development’” (Translated from Amharic)
Bekele Mekonnen (in “Addis Guday Weekly Magazine No.186, October, 2013)

2.1 Introduction
This chapter focuses its attention to the description of the conceptual and theoretical issues that
have relevance to integrating inner-city historic neighbourhoods into the urban redevelopment
process and thereby help inform urban design in such inner-cities of historic significance. It also
examines the various urban development approaches that have been undertaken or proposed
for inner-city historic neighbourhoods with the ultimate objective of providing the preferable
approach for integrating such neighbourhoods in this study. The study has made use of various
literatures that gives us a theoretical and practical framework drawn from country experiences in
order to understand the subject matter under study from different perspectives.

2.2 Theories, Concepts and Definition of Terms

2.2.1 Planned versus non-planned (Organic) cities

Spiro K. (1999) points out that there is a conventional distinction made between “planned” and
“non-planned” (or sometimes called “organic” cities). “Planned” cities are those that have been
designed or planned intentionally or consciously. Planned cities are described as being
deliberately created by those in power with planners and designers involved while non-
planned/organic cities have developed spontaneously through time without an articulate
decision of a specific city planner or designer. However, He states that this dichotomy between
planned and non-planned cities is superficial since behind the seemingly random nature of what
we call “non-planned” cities lies an order that has been long-established by conventions among
the society that have established such settlements gradually. (ibid)

Christopher A. (1966) further notes that the notion of “natural cities”, which he associates with
those cities that have developed more or less spontaneously over the years, are the ones that
give cities life as compared to the planned cities that have been deliberately created by planners
and designers, or what he calls “artificial cities”. He claims that the latter cannot encompass the
complexity of cities in any suitable mental form although it seems to ideally solve the problem.
The structures of naturally grown organic cities are created out of human necessity or
spontaneously, and it is more widely recognized today that there were some essential
ingredients missing from artificial cities in urban design. Hence, from this point of view, planned

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

cities have been said to be entirely unsuccessful and those cities that have been built prior to
the advent of large scale planning remain attractive to us even today (Christopher A., 1966).

In this sense, it may be argued that cities, including historic inner-city areas should not be seen
as a system to simply be controlled through planning but should be understood to evolve
spontaneously in order to achieve the best collective vision of both planners and designers as
well as the residents of such cities.

From the above argument, one can comprehend that the apparent “disorder” of spontaneously
growing urban cities has its own functional logic usually determined by a system that is self-
managed by its various actors and stakeholders that have influence to create the urban pattern
of an organic city. By the same token, this functional logic as well as the historical evolution also
influences the urban pattern of Addis Ababa which developed organically as J. Baumeister and
N. Knebel, (2009) notes whereby the dots of the first camps were connected and a network of
streets formed’ which can be interpreted as the ‘gebbi’, its radiated streets and the ‘sefer’.

This kind of system has been providing an important economic base for both the national and
local economy. The inner city has provided income and employment to a large population
consisting mainly of the urban poor. Accordingly, it is important that this system be sustained
with the required modification of such inner cities accompanied by providing alternative means
of livelihood appropriate to those that are potentially affected by any change in the urban fabric.
At the same time, the living heritages of such inner city neighbourhoods are based in their
unique urban form as well as the traditional socio-cultural patterns and norms which should also
be sustained as a valuable contribution to the cultural heritage of the inner city.

2.2.2 Inner City

The term “inner-city” is usually defined as that part of the city in or near its centre (Collins
Dictionary, 2000). Historically, inner-cities were considered as the core and historic business
nodes within the city as well as a favoured residence and destination for the majority of
labourers and job seekers from within the country or from abroad (Ahmed P., 2010). To most
people, the inner city means the older portion of an urban area immediately surrounding the
central business district (CBD). The proximity of the inner-city to various social services such as
clinics, schools, transportation and social networks has made the inner-city centre a pull-factor
for its residents and for carrying out business activities. On the other hand, the inner-city has
come to be associated as an area in cities characterized by poverty, high unemployment rate;
sub-standard housing; poor infrastructure and social services as well as an area with high crime

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

rate. Due to these characteristics, inner-cities have been dubbed by some as “slums” or
“ghettos” (Porter, 1995).

Due to the varied characteristics or defining elements of inner-cities, it has been pointed out that
it is difficult or inappropriate to provide any single definition of inner-city since the term is relative
and ought to be defined within a specific political and socio-economic context (Bourne L.S.,
1978). For instance, characterizing inner-cities as low income residential districts may be
misleading since in some European cities the inner city is an area in which the rich and elite
class of society reside and where housing is expensive whereas, on the other hand, in most
American cities, the inner city is associated as being inhabited with low-income households and,
in most cases, racial minorities while the rich has moved to the suburbs. In most developing
countries, including Ethiopia, inner-cities may reflect more heterogeneity where they are
inhabited by rich, middle class and low-income families while in some cases the wealthy live in
the inner cities and the poor in shanty towns in the periphery of cities.

The term inner-city is also value-laden depending on whose views are taken into account when
expressing the characteristics of the term. For those in the high and middle class section of the
society, equating inner cities with the notion of “slum” may seem to be the appropriate
connotation creating the image of blighted and shoddy inner-city neighbourhoods with
dilapidated housing, polluted areas and infested with criminals. To those who reside in the
inner-city itself or to some others who are concerned with revitalizing inner-city neighbourhoods,
the term may express a very attractive place where there are ample opportunities for
employment and business activities; social networks are strong and various social services are
easily accessed. Various stakeholders may have differing and sometimes, conflicting view and
interests regarding the inner city. Accordingly, these varied views may at the same time be
misleading while indeed the views expressed are also class specific. One has to also keep in
mind that the term “inner-city” itself has its source in developed countries and simply
transplanted as a term in the urban context of developing countries which, in most cases,
developed in a quite distinct and largely in a spontaneous manner than the developed ones.
The urban development process and the decline or decay of inner-cities in most of the
developed world fundamentally differs from the context of the developing world in both the
historical and economic processes that have shaped them.

What one can understand from the above discussion regarding the definition of “inner-city” is
that it is difficult or misleading to give a universally applicable definition of the term unless one
examines the particular political and socio-economic context on how such inner-cities have

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

developed and the main attributes or characterization one attaches to the term inner city in a
specific context. It may also be underlined that government policies towards how to address the
urban challenges of inner cities can also be influenced by the way the “inner city” is defined and
what attributes or expressions are given to the term. Underlining the diversity of inner-cities
implies that any definition of the inner-city must take into account the specific and real problems
and opportunities that such areas express and not provide some blanket definition.

When we come to define the term “inner city” in the context of the city of Addis Ababa,
characterizing inner city neighbourhoods as “slums” or predominantly low-income
neighbourhoods may also be quite misleading. Ashenafi, points out that in the inner city of Addis
Ababa “one can find temporary structures mixed with apartments, single dwellings, offices and
other commercial buildings in good to very poor conditions” (Ashenafi G., 2001). This indicates
that there is more “heterogeneity” than “homogeneity” in inner city neighbourhoods in Addis
Ababa.

The study area of “Serategna Sefer” is part of the inner-city core of Addis Ababa where the city
has partly taken its origin and identity both historically and spatially. This area has its own deep-
rooted historic and socio-economic characteristic and has, for a large part of the city’s life, been
known as one of the city’s hub. However, due to it’s being the earliest part of the city to undergo
urbanization and faced with various pressures that urbanization brings with it, it is now
associated with housing conditions that have deteriorated, with most of its infrastructure and
services having outlived their life-cycle as well as subjected to manifest symptoms of economic
and social deprivation - characterized as “slum”. On the other hand, its importance as an inner-
city with unique locational advantages in terms of attracting potential investments and access to
various social services as well as the predominance of huge informal economies should be
seen as an opportunity that contributes greatly to the city’s economy.

2.2.3 Inner-City as Urban Heritage

Traditionally, the term “urban heritage” has been associated with historical monuments and
sites. Steinberg notes that most urban planners and managers generally define the term “urban
heritage” as “monuments” (churches, temples, religious buildings, historic buildings and walls
etc). However, he further points out that the term should also include historic residential areas
and city centres which similarly represent urban heritage as well as the customs and beliefs
which play an important role in the expression of the use of space and the built environment
(Steinberg F., 1996). Most inner-cities around the world are found in the older parts of the urban
area where cities originated. In this sense, such areas often have historical, socio-economic,

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

cultural and architectural significance. These attributes serve to maintain the relative
attractiveness of the inner-city.

It is also important to bear in mind that urban heritage of an inner-city has both a
material/tangible component as well as an intangible element. The material/tangible component
consists of the built heritage related to the urban configuration and form such as monuments
and historical buildings; streets and squares; the housing stock or landscape while the
intangible dimension is linked to its history and social values such as its social diversity; the
shared memory of the place; the symbolism and significance of the place that its population
attaches to and other intangible dimensions which is a source of identity, vitality and sense of
place that inner-cities create (France-UNESCO, 2006). One should not see only a three-
dimensional physical space but also take account of the socio-cultural context which people
bring into it. We create our own spaces and such spaces do not exist independent of us. The
figure below gives us the transactional relationship between people and their urban
environment.

Surrounding
Setting Sense
(Physical Setting)
+ of
Person Place
Context
(Social Settings)

Figure 2-1: Sense of Place

Source: Steele F., sense of place, 1981

What is to be underlined here is that urban heritage is not only the physical environment of
inner-cities but also implies the social and cultural life for the inhabitants who use these spaces
and resources. Human inhabitants are the ones who create the socio-cultural and economic
systems which gives vitality to the physical environment. However, the social, economic and
cultural values that these households have may often be quite different from that of an urban
planner or designer. Accordingly, urban design of such old inner-city areas needs to consider
the importance of an integrated approach where both the tangible and intangible aspects of
such old inner-cities are taken into account.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

2.2.4 Inner-City Decay

Discussing the characteristics of decay, Acioly (1999) notes that decay may occur in various
forms, with characteristics such as social unrest, devaluation of real estate properties, and a
decrease in economic activity due to the departure of small businesses, petty industries, and
manufactures to more prosperous areas where development opportunities exist due to better
services and infrastructure, accessibility and customers. Another aspect of ‘decay’ discussed
by Acioly (1999) include ‘the change in character and function of a neighbourhood as well as a
gradual shift in the profile of its inhabitants, caused by social mobility, highlighting the
phenomena of ghettos and the appearance of dilapidated sites. In this case, there may be sub-
renting, overcrowding and high population densities which are directly associated with a process
of spatial, social and economic segregation. Violence, criminality and drug trafficking may not be
excluded. The scarcity of financial resources and decrease in public and private investments are
important factors that contribute to the loss of urban vitality and to the deterioration of the urban
heritage. Public spaces and configurationally qualities intrinsic to the built-up environment are
severely affected. There is a noticeable fall in the attractiveness of the locality’ (Claudio C.
Acioly, 1999). While some of the symptoms of inner-city decay mentioned by Acioly may be true
for inner-cities in developing countries such as the shift in the profile of inhabitants, over-
crowding and high population densities and lack of financial resources as well as a decrease in
public and private investments, the other symptoms of urban decay cited by Acioly are not
usually found in the developing country context.

What the above characterization shows is that there is a need to distinguish the cause of “urban
decay” in the developed vis-a-vis the developing countries context. The urban development
process and the decline or decay of inner-cities in most of the developed world fundamentally
differs from the context of the developing world in both the historical and economic processes
that have shaped them. One factor that ought to be taken into account is that cities of the
developing countries reflect a different path of urbanization that has been the cause of urban
decay that differs significantly from that of the developed countries. While urban growth in the
developed world led to de-industrialization and loss of the well-to-do population from the inner-
cities to sub-urban areas and thus led to the decline of their inner-city centres, the “urban decay”
of the developing countries was caused by rapid urbanization, largely uncontrolled, and rural-
urban migration which led to over-crowding of inner-city areas with poor housing conditions, lack
of sufficient infrastructure and services and informal settlements associated with most as “slum
tenements” and predominantly low-income neighbourhoods (Couch C.1990). Despite these
serious signs of urban decay, however, the low-income population residing in the inner-cities of

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

developing countries has chosen to remain close to the city centre where most of the job
opportunities are found (Nobre E.1994). This shows that the causes termed as ‘urban decay’
varies considerably from context to context and hence are relative rather than absolute.

Verma G.(1990) notes that cities in the developing world differ fundamentally from those of the
developed ones in terms of the factors that conditions their growth, their spatial structure, the
decay of their inner-cities and the practice of planning. In this regard, she identifies two factors
that led to the inadequacy of urban renewal efforts in South Asian cities, namely: a) a limited
perception of the problem as merely an issue of the manifest symptoms of urban decay
(structural dilapidation, infrastructural inadequacies and traffic congestion) rather than in terms
of the causes and processes of decay, and b) weak implementation in terms of policy and
planning.

2.2.5 Urban Policies and Approaches to Inner City Neighbourhood Development

“ But look what we have built…low-income projects that become worse centres of delinquency
and general social hopelessness than the slums they were supposed to replace; middle income
housing projects which are truly marvels of dullness and regimentation, sealed against
buoyancy or vitality of city life; luxury housing projects to mitigate their inanity…expressways
that eviscerate great cities. This is not the rebuilding of cities. This is the sacking of cities”.

(Jane Jacobs, 1961)

There have been several attempts by governments all over the world in the past several
decades to come up with sustainable policies and approaches aimed at revitalizing and
improving the living conditions and opportunities of their inner-city neighbourhoods. Various
contending approaches, and often inter-changeable terms, have been proposed by city planners
and designers ranging from terms such as “urban redevelopment”, “urban renewal”, “urban
revitalization”, “urban rehabilitation” “urban conservation” and “urban regeneration”.

Acioly (1999) prefers the use of the term “urban revitalization” as a broad working definition
towards the recovery of the “modernity” and authenticity of inner cities. He defines urban
revitalization as ‘an urban renewal approach that intends to reverse the process of physical
deterioration and social and economic decline that prevents urban areas and their inhabitants
from being an integral part of the current urban development process. He further notes that
urban renewal approaches range from the “extreme” to the “intermediate” or middle-path. On
one extreme is the “conservation” approach emphasizing gradual adaptive measures, promoting
urban renewal that responds to social and economic demands without bringing substantial

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

change in the original character of the built environment. This concept is generally associated
with the restoration of historic sites within inner cities, on the other extreme, is the
“redevelopment” approach which is based on a quite radical process of urban renewal that
upholds the demolition of obsolete structures and urban artefacts and the imposition of new
uses, functions, and buildings. In other words, the redevelopment approach has the objective of
meeting new social needs and economic demands (usually of higher-income social groups) of
the city. In line with the process of globalization, this approach aims to attract private investment
so as to create a visually attractive physical environment, ‘transforming the personality and
character of the locality and creating a new physical, social, and economic profile which fits in
with the idealized image of urban modernity.

The ‘rehabilitation’ approach, on the other hand, takes a middle position in contrast to
conservation and redevelopment. It is based on a renewal effort characterized by a gradual
process of physical/spatial, economic and social transformation that responds to well-defined
needs and priorities. It preserves social, cultural and physical features and the genuine
characters of sites, buildings, and local economic processes. At the same time, it may launch
redevelopment initiatives which help to integrate them into the overall urban development
process of the city’ (Acioly, 1999). Upgrading, regeneration and rehabilitation are used as
interchangeable terms to describe the same phenomenon.

In a similar fashion, Steinberg (1996) describes the concept of rehabilitation as not simply being
the passive protection of individual buildings of historic significance or the wholesome
preservation of everything that is old. Instead, he says:

…it means the creative use and re-use of older quarters of the city, taken as a whole. Where
possible, old buildings are repaired and modernized, to facilitate their continued use,
especially as housing. This often includes upgrading of infrastructure services (water,
sewerage, drainage, roads, etc), but on a modest scale, allowing the preservation of the
existing urban pattern and fabric. Where necessary, some changes of use may be
incorporated, but on a small scale. Demolition should normally be reserved for structurally
unsound buildings, but may also sometimes be needed in order to provide space for
essential social services, infrastructure or open space. An overriding objective is to minimize
the displacement of residents, because of demolition or repair and upgrading. The intention is
to provide enough modernization of the physical fabric to allow the life of the community to go
on, with scope for both buildings and social systems to evolve and adapt to new conditions.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

As Mihretu (2005) aptly points out, the above definition regarding the urban rehabilitation
approach incorporates several important elements for inner-city revitalization. Firstly, it reflects
the social concerns of the inner-city which is usually threatened by changing land uses and land
values thereby posing problems to low income housing in these areas. Secondly, it underlines
the need for the participation of the community and political support by the government to
enhance this participation which goes to economize scarce resources. Thirdly, it is economic in
terms of allocating scarce resources to rehabilitating the inner city rather than demolishing
existing housing stock and embarking on new developments which requires huge funding.
Lastly, it maintains urban identity by giving emphasis to the continued use of existing urban
patterns and features of the inner-city.

In this study, it is preferred to use the term “urban revitalization” as an overall framework with
the objective of improving two main characteristics of the inner-city that is the social fabric and
the physical environment without displacing the residents. Improving the physical fabric mainly
consist of the housing stock, economic activity, infrastructure as well as open spaces which
ultimately makes the area attractive to the residents and potential visitors while improving the
social fabric of the area is mainly concerned with improving the livelihood and quality of life of its
residents. On this note, however, various concepts found within the broad term “urban
revitalization “such as the terms “urban rehabilitation; upgrading and regeneration” are also
relevant and may be used interchangeably.

2.2.6 Sustainable Urbanism

In its fullest meaning, sustainable urbanism is made up of the following: building and growing
more densely and compactly; creating walk-able mixed use urban environments that permit and
encourage walking and bicycling; investments in public transit and transportation; creating
closed-loop urban eco-metabolism and a self-sustaining agricultural system - local production of
foods, goods and materials (food, building, materials); and investment in and commitment to
sustainable and renewable and passive technologies integrated into the built form (e.g. solar,
wind, biomass, etc.) as well as solar design that uses all the best of modern materials like steel
and glass to enable daylight to fill our buildings instead of needing artificial light and heat (Farr
D., 2007; Newman and Beatley, 2008).
Farr (2008) in Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature sums this up in five points:
• Increasing sustainability through density and compactness.
• Integrating transportation means, patterns and land use.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

• Creating sustainable neighbourhoods, including housing, car-free areas, locally-owned

stores, walk-able neighbourhoods, and universal accessibility.
• The health and environmental benefits of linking humans to nature, including walk-to
open spaces; neighbourhood storm water systems, waste treatment, and food
production (perm a culture).
• High performance buildings and district energy systems.
So in a nutshell, sustainable urbanism has three basic aspects: environmental, social and
economic aspects. An urban form which is environmentally sustainable enables its inhabitants
to adopt a more ecologically aware, lower carbon lifestyle; in social terms, sustainable urbanism
involves an appropriate mix of dwellings of different tenures, sizes and types, and a variety of
spaces and buildings for recreational and community activities, as well as for service providers
and commercial enterprises; and in economic terms, sustainable developments contain
business activities and opportunities capable of providing jobs for many of their inhabitants
across the social and economic spectra (Haas, 2008; Steuteville and Langdon, 2009). The
current popular definition of sustainable urbanism is also imagined as a grand unification of
architecture, city planning, and environmental design for a better way of life. The diagram below
shows the main axis of sustainable urbanism, new neighbourhood (green model) scheme and
the qualities of sustainable urbanism (Farr D. 2008).

Sustainable Urbanism
Smart Growth + New Urbanism + High Performance Buildings
and Infrastructure

Sustainable Urbanism

“Walk‐able and transit‐served

urbanism: with high‐performance
buildings and high‐performance
infrastructure.”

Compactness Biophilia
a
(density) (Human
n Access to
d Nature)

Figure 2-2: Sustainable Urbanism

Source: Farr D. 2008

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

To mention some qualities of Sustainable Urbanism

• Mixed use: the schemes are expected to be predominantly residential with a mix of other
uses such as retail, business and community uses.
• Mixed Tenure: A resident Population mixed in terms of income groups and occupations.
• Architectural Quality: the scheme’s architecture should respond to its context in style, scale
and choice of materials.
• Mixed Housing Type: provision of a range of housing types to support movement, within the
neighbourhood and therefore to encourage community stability.
• Well Connected to Public Transport: To encourage walking and cycling and therefore
reduce car dependency.
• Walk-able Neighbourhoods: The design of the development to incorporate community and
neighbourhood commercial facilities in such a way that they can be accessible by foot. This
also means the provision of a street layout that is well interconnected allowing pedestrians
to take a variety of routes throughout the scheme.
• High Quality urbanism that creates definable streets: Streets which display a legible
hierarchy with appropriate dispersal of building densities/uses/typologies to the nature of the
streets with building height contributing to street character.
• Robust, Adaptable Urban form: A permeable grid of streets that avoids cul-de-sacs and
encourages a range of option routes for pedestrians and vehicles. The street grid should be
integrated with the existing surrounding area.
• Well Integrated Open Space: Open space provided should be designed to have a clearly
definable use and long term management regime, as well as being easily accessible.

All of this puts the focus on the key element of the community – the neighbourhood and housing
as being a main node for the carrying capacity of sustainable transformations and consolidation,
one founded around the human aspects of form and traditional, timeless practices of good city
building. (Alazar E. & Tigran H., 2011)

2.2.7 Modernism

Modernism first emerged in the early twentieth century. It was considered as positive, rational,
forward looking and objective by architects like Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe who
championed its capacity to facilitate a new social order through architectural and urban design.
However, It was not until after the second World War that it gained mass popularity, after
modernist planning was implemented as a solution to the previous frailer of architecture and

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

design to meet basic social needs. During the 1930s as much as 15% of the urban populations
were living in poverty, and slum clearance was one of the many social problems of this decade
(Jeremiah D., 2000). Modernist planning was a popular idea and used as a solution to these
problems. But the movement could not adequately comprehend and cater for the social
dynamics of family and community and as a result many modernist buildings were pulled down
in the seventies.

The modernist utopian visions, of Le Corbusier promised to deliver improved living conditions to
the slums and health hazards environments. Le Corbusier was convinced that carefully
engineered urban landscapes could make their inhabitants’ lives more efficient, healthier and
happier, and couldn’t bear the unplanned, unsanitary muddle of most European cities. His
modernist idea were argued by some as ‘unrealistic and dehumanizing from the very start,
placing too much emphasis on order and planning at the expense of an understanding of the
importance of tradition, individuality and community needs’. Or some say that ‘he believed in
simplifying people’s lives by placing amenities within easy and convenient reach- within one
building, if possible where a system of regular tower blocks, ringed by a motorway, built in
districts according to function. Poor living conditions almost as a cause and not as a symptom
of far deeper, underlying economic and social difficulties. With the city’s economy in post-
industrial decline, it was unrealistic to have hoped that redevelopments with the same brush
because of the high-profile failures would be equally closed-minded. Jacobs accused Le
Corbusier ‘An inhumane planning process that did not properly consider those who were to live
in the planned developments. She claimed the modernist aesthetic to be dull, and her writing
promoted the street, in particular the pavement, as a place where a community can meet,
socialize, and control their privacy. Henket, H. J., (2002).

The issue of the inadequacy of ‘modernist’ housing solutions to be incompatible with the
lifestyles and aspirations of the poor has been a recurrent concern among researchers and
architects/planners alike for many years. Despite such criticisms the continued practice of
modernist programs in many developing countries and immerging economies reveals the
prevalent gap between knowledge acquired through previous studies and the design and
planning practice.
Scholarly literature on the subject of modernism – both in developed and developing countries
contains a normative bias. Those studies about modernist practices in developing countries are
largely dominated by colonial texts that largely present modernism as ‘imported’, ‘Western’ and
as an ‘international style’. Despite harsh criticisms most largely fail to provide full picture of the
background within which the ‘project’ was implemented and the precise causes for the success
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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

or failure of modernist housing estates. They also fail to provide alternative view and vision to
city development. In contrast to the dominant view that sees modernist planning paradigm as
inhuman imposition from above or imports from the West, condominium housing program of
Addis Ababa reviled that modernist interventions are equally co-inspired by populace desire for
the glamour that are imprecisely equated with better standard of living. This meant that
residents in the beginning showed more tolerance to the challenges they face and to adapting to
the new way of life they subscribe to when moving in to the new housing environment. This
internal tolerance and the desire for adaptation are witnessed by the users’ innovative
appropriation of spaces, uses, locations and resources. But as expectations are not met, as
they continue to be confronted by the rigidity of the built form and as the resistance to exercising
legitimate power over their housing environment grows unbearable the inventiveness essentially
becomes a survival mechanism (Alazar E. & Tigran H., 2011)

2.2.8 ‘Traditional’ and ‘Modernist’ Urbanism

Traditional Neighbourhood Design (TND) is a good example of how old values can be used to
solve modern problems. It is about creating sustainable settlements by means of dense, mixed-
use and human scale neighbourhoods, high accessibility and connectivity which can be
achieved by planning pedestrian and bicycle routes. The ultimate objective of traditional design
is to create higher levels of quality of life, sense of community, human scale and other
characteristics of the traditional towns. Generally, their idea is that there were values in the
traditional urbanism that can be a solution for some of the modern urban problems. The land
usage, construction costs, energy consumption of the automobiles, the high volume of gas
emissions, car ownership, etc. were some causes of starting to develop traditional guidelines.
As Berman (1996) writes, the 11 main aspects of neo- traditional design are the following:
1. Mixed-use core within walking distance for residents.
2. Local employment and civic centres.
3. A range of housing types for different income levels.
4. Higher housing densities and smaller lots than those found in suburbs.
5. District architecture based on the vernacular architecture.
6. Creation of a sense of community.
7. Creation of a sense of tradition.
8. Common open spaces.
9. Streets that are social spaces as well as a transport facility.
10. Narrow streets with sidewalks and alleys running behind homes.

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As Yan Song, (2005) summarizes the characteristics of the compact developments and
traditional neighbourhood design according to the ideas of Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-
Zyberk (1992) and Katz (1994) “a street network circulation design that will utilize shorter street
lengths in a grid-like pattern to promote better traffic flow; higher-density residential uses
surrounding retail, recreational, and governmental uses; more mixture of land uses that will
reduce the number of vehicle trips; better accessibility to retail and transit that will improve
quality of life; and pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods”.

2.2.9 Urban Acupuncture

The term of urban acupuncture originally coined by Barcelonan architect and urbanist, Manuel
de Sola Morales (2004), and the term has been recently championed and developed further by
Finnish architect and social theorist Marco Casagrande (2010), this school of thought eschews
massive urban renewal projects in favour of a more localised and community approach that, in
an era of constrained budgets and limited resources, could democratically and cheaply offer a
break to urban dwellers.
The theory of urban acupuncture opens the door for uncontrolled creativity and freedom. Each
citizen is enabled to join the creative participatory planning process, feel free to use city space
for any purpose and develop his environment according to his will. It is also a socio-
environmental theory that combines contemporary urban design with the traditional Chinese
acupuncture; it uses small-scale interventions to transform the larger urban context through
analysis of aggregate social, economic and ecological factors, and are developed through a
dialogue between designers and the community. Urban acupuncture bears some similarities to
the new urbanist concept of ‘tactical urbanism’. The idea focuses on local resources and on
small, subtle, bottom-up interventions that harness and direct community energy in positive
ways to heal urban blight and improve the cityscape. (www.wekepedia)
In Mexico urban acupuncture refers to a concept that converts temporary housing, like sheds in
the slums, to simple homes that allow for “add-ons” later, based on need and affordability. This
strategy transforms the slum zone, without relocating families that have been living together for
generations. In South Africa Urban Acupuncture is viewed as a possibility to provide a means
for people to unlock their creativity and the advantages thereof, for example, innovation and
entrepreneurship concentrating on parts of the city, i.e. communities thereby providing
opportunities to those areas which do not have the sort of infrastructure that is found in
mainstream cities. This approach can provide a more realistic and less costly method for city
planners and citizens as an effective way to make minor improvements in the communities in
order to achieve a greater good in the cities. (Mariam M., 2012)
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2.3 Some Relevant Inner-City Case Studies and Experiences

2.3.1 A Local Authority Approach to Revitalization:

The Case of the Inner City of Magoba, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (Source: Linda Magwaro-Nduweni,
IHS, 2010)
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after its capital city, Harare. The Bulawayo City
Council has embarked in revitalizing Makoba which is a densely populated neighbourhood in
the inner-city of Bulawayo. This was because the city council recognized the multifaceted
potential of the inner-city of Makoba and thus included it as one of its urban development
strategies.

As mentioned earlier, Makoba is a congested inner-city neighbourhood of Bulawayo and has

served high-density residential and commercial activities for low-income families for many
years. It has through time experienced an in-migration of poor families and increase in
population density. Obsolete buildings have become home for the poor. Property owners have
no vacancies in their buildings and the demand for accommodation has become high leading to
exorbitant price for rental housing. Housing conditions are characterized by a lack of provision
of individual facilities, particularly toilet and water. The actual dwelling units have been sub-
divided and these sub-divisions pose an immediate threat to human health and safety.
Moreover, the current water and sewerage facilities cannot cope with the increase in population.
The informal traders in the area lack space from which to work and have invaded open spaces
they can find. As a result, the neighbourhood is no longer considered attractive.

In order to revitalize the inner-city of Makoba, the city council formulated a plan which includes
the establishment of a strong and sustainable economic base; ensuring the provision of
adequate housing and social facilities to make Makoba attractive; provision of available land to
meet the needs of the residents for future development and ensuring appropriate and adequate
physical infrastructure is provided.

Accordingly, the city council has designated appropriate sites for the informal traders found in
the neighbourhood shopping centre and other commercial areas. This was done in consultation
with the informal traders and the formal sector. The city council is also establishing enterprise
zones for informal manufacturing and service activities that do not negatively impact the
surrounding residential areas.

In regard to the provision of residential accommodation, the city council has made
improvements to the defective housing stock. Houses which have structural defects are being

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demolished and replacement units are provided. All houses that have been using communal
toilets are being provided with internal toilets and internal water taps.

However, renovation and reconstruction of the Makoba housing has taken time to be
implemented because of financial constraints. The city council is developing and exploring ways
in which to assist and facilitate meeting the needs of the majority of households seeking a
separate dwelling. The options include: commissioning research studies into ways of providing
basic housing affordable to the poor residents of Makoba; entering into partnerships with
housing finance and housing development companies; further development of site and service
schemes; provision of rental accommodation; and further development of core houses.

Land for public open space was set aside in the form of urban parks for relaxation and
recreation. They have facilities that require some expense in terms of upkeep. In other areas,
the management of the land is kept to a minimum to ensure ease of access, the maintenance of
footpath and the cleaning of litter and other rubbish. The provision of public open space has
contributed to creating an attractive environment that breaks the monotony of the built-up areas.
An NGO called Zimbabwe Development Trust has taken the initiative to restore parks and
instigate clean-up campaigns in the Makoba to bring about security and improved aesthetics.
Small part-time job opportunities open regularly and the residents have found something to do.

Stakeholder’s participation has also been initiated to revitalize Makoba. The residents of
Makoba first initiated the need to control growth of their neighbourhood. They staged
demonstrations accusing the authorities of failing to adequately supply services. They also
called on the city authorities to provide land due to their worry about the uncontrolled
subdivisions of shops, market stalls and residential houses. Working with different partners, the
residents of Makoba have managed to restore their parks, create space at points that have
been invaded by hawkers and also managed to control the bursting of cisterns.

The private sector within and around Bulawayo also plays a large role in the revitalization of
Makoba. The sector has resources such as finance and manpower skills that are being utilized
to ensure development that takes place in the impoverished neighbourhood. In the past, the
private sector has been marginalized in public planning, being seen as a sector that seeks only
to undertake business. However, there have been some factors that have changed this attitude.
In the first place, a reduction in public expenditure has reduced the ability of the local authorities
to undertake key infrastructural investments which is holding development. In addition, the
private sector itself is increasingly realizing that its long-term sustainability is closely related to
the success in meeting social and community needs. The private sector has participated in

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

revitalizing Makoba by joining with the local authority and other agencies in forums and
committees that are aimed at discussing the problems faced by Makoba and giving advice on
possible solutions; contributing resources to assist through micro-financing to ensure a growing
and dynamic community within which to operate business; providing capital resources towards
assisting in the development of physical infrastructure, housing and other community needs on
a long-term basis; and providing specialist advice, equipment and other resources to some
community organizations, small businesses and the informal sector to ensure the development
of community-focused development programs, promoting enterprise skills and assisting the
development of the small business sector.

The NGO sector is playing a similar role to that of the private sector, except that its activities
tend to be more oriented towards social and community non-profit activities. They work in close
partnership with the city council and other agencies in Makoba developmental programs. The
major areas of involvement include addressing social and welfare provisions; skills training;
community development and capacity building.

The central government departments are playing several important roles in ensuring a better
and marketable Makoba. Some of the roles in which the central government departments have
been involved include, providing policy guidance with a national and regional perspective;
maintaining services for which central government remains responsible, bearing in mind that the
process of decentralization may devolve these functions to the local authority over time; and
joint partnership with other agencies to discuss problems facing the inner-city and contributing in
deliberation to design some possible solutions.

Community organizations are being encouraged and given added responsibilities so that they
can be a useful channel for effective public participation and provide community resources to
the development process. Community organizations have undertaken several important roles
aimed at developing self-help enterprise projects to encourage economic activity as well as
meet a wide range of social needs.

2.3.2 Beyond Brasilia – contemporary urban design in Brazil (Vincent del Rio, 2005)

Urban development in Brazilian cities reflect a duality where on one side globalization and
market forces dragged the Brazilian society toward an “entrepreneurial” and fragmented city of
shopping centres, gated communities and on other side academia, intellectuals, community and
social movements, and political leaders pushed toward another social order to solutions that are
more appropriate to the Brazilian social and cultural heritage.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

The year 1980s was a turning point for the rise of a new type of urbanism where the momentum
generated by national political movements. Later on, the 1988 national constitution defined the
municipality as an “entity” of the federation assigning it as political, financial, and economic
autonomy and introduced the concept of the “social role of urban property and of the city” and
recognized the need for a more socially inclusive urban development. These changes had some
challenges regarding the social fragmentation of
the urban environment caused by severe historical
income gaps between social groups in the Brazilian
society.
Evidently, spatial segregation in urban development
and design in Brazil may have also enabled social
exclusion in environments that limit social
encounters, prevent the unexpected, seclude and
control the types of users, and prevent the
existence of real urbanity. the Figure to the left
show much of the Brazilian urban landscape is
being taken over by controlled environments and
fencings around parks, plazas, shopping centres,
business parks, and even to individual buildings in
residential and local commercial streets.
Figure 2-3: Controlled environments in typical residential and mixed-use streets are strong elements of the
new the Brazilian cityscape.
Source: Beyond Brasilia, Contemporary Urban design in Brazil, 2005

The context of urban design in the study was defined as the conscious or unconscious process
of shaping cities or parts of them, together with the various human and social operations that
sustain it and give it meaning. Therefore, the role of urban design in the study has been to
shape public realm, ensure its quality, public-oriented and participatory which sets the stage for
cultural, social and economic development and consider the task and the complexity of the
urban question in Brazil. The following case study show the three major prevailing trends in
contemporary Brazilian urban design and its practice which are categorized as a) late-
modernism, b) re-utilization of the built environment, and c) social inclusion.

Late Modernism
Modernism continues to be a strong intellectual influence of modernist thinking on Brazilian
social values, urban development control, master planning and zoning and building codes and it
facilitates spatial segregation and segmentation.
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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Vernacular and Satellite cities

Settlements that predate Brasilia, one represent a vernacular morphology – co-exist with the
satellite cities and represent peripheral modernism lacking the aesthetical and visual qualities of
the classical modernism. The other co-existing
morphologies are the workers’ camp built by contractors
for their personnel during Brasilia’s early years; the favelas
or squatter settlements built by poor migrants attracted to
the new labour market, and the expanding post-modern
neighbourhoods and gated communities.
‘The more recent residential and commercial sectors
reflect postmodernist architectural imagery, The favelas
which now look more like vernacular spaces, The old
workers’ camps which have lost their original
distinctiveness, and the new residential neighbourhoods
which partially redeem classic modernism but incorporate
contemporary attributes such as gates and walls.’

Figure 2-4: Late modernism in Brasilia: Taguatinga satellite town (left) and the new suburban district of
Aguas Clara (right)
Source: Beyond Brasilia, Contemporary Urban design in Brazil, 2005

Re-utilization of the built environment

By the mid 1980’s the majority of the large cities in Brazil had realized that they should direct
planning and design efforts for the redevelopment of the downtown areas. Deteriorating,
underutilized and outdated buildings, vacancies, “planning blights”, antiquated zoning and
regulations, and over ambitious road projects was some of the problems that had to be faced.
Several revitalization projects have been developed in Brazilian major cities. Some Examples
now extend out in cities such as Rio, Salvador, São Paulo, Recife, Porto Alegre, and Belem.

Revitalization of the cultural corridor project

One of the most pioneer and integrated inner-city revitalization project in Brazil is the cultural
corridor project in Rio de Janeiro. The project covers four large non-contiguous areas in the
historic downtown aiming the preservation of the historical and cultural architectural heritages,
promoting social and economic revitalization and renovating the cultural role of the city centre.
In 2004 the project included more than 3,000 buildings 75% of which had been partially restored
and 900 had been totally renovated. In addition the area received more than 25 new cultural

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

centres, theatres and museums, and various street

beautification projects have been implemented.
The project success results from a continuous effort of
the city with full support from property owners,
merchants, and the community at large. The project
also encourages infill development and new buildings
that promote a reinterpretation of history through
contemporary vocabularies. The Cultural Corridor
Project harmonizes planning and design goals with
social and economic sustainability, and a well balanced
mix of preservation, redevelopment, cultural promotion,
and community participation. As a result the cultural
corridor inspired public initiatives in several Brazilian
cities in their quest for preserving historic architecture
and revitalizing central areas.

Figure 2-5: downtown cultural corridor and preserved buildings

Source: Beyond Brasilia, Contemporary Urban design in Brazil, 2005

Historic sites revitalization and the consequence of “Gentrification”

Salvador was Brazil´s first capital during the colonial
period. In 1992, the state government started to
implement a massive project to redevelop and revitalize
the Pelourinho district in the old city centre, a
UNESCO´s World Heritage Site. It contains one of the
most important collections of colonial buildings and
baroque churches in Latin America, it is the repository of
a long tradition of African culture and of the
descendents of slaves, and it is the most important and
representative place of Salvador’s cultural history.
Figure: A renovated block with a central Plaza and underground parking,
Source: Beyond Brasilia, 2005

Most of this areas belonged to religious orders and buildings were inhibited by low-income
residents, due to of maintenance, buildings were in serious decay. Following unsuccessful
earlier attempts to renovate it, the state government decided to implement a large scale
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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

operation in the early 1990s to fulfil Pelourinho´s strategic cultural role in national and
international tourism development. This project brought significant transformations to the area. It
created controversial issue because it transformed original uses and activities, pushed away the
families that lived there, and promoted cultural gentrification for the sake of tourism industry.
Many traditional and spontaneous social and cultural practices changed, some were
“institutionalized” into tourism attractions, and new cultural centres and museums operated by
the public sector were introduced. The controversial design solution changed the historical
morphology of the area by creating new accesses to the interior of the blocks which were totally
transformed from private yards to semi-public areas for restaurants and cultural events with
architectural solutions not always appropriate. However, the project managed to recreate the
place, making it safer and more attractive in the eyes of tourists, revitalizing its economy, and
creating conditions for a proper maintenance of the historical architecture.

Historical industrial architecture revitalization

The DC Navegantes is a popular outlet shopping centre in Porto Alegre, totally planned and
developed by the private sector which invested in the reutilization of a brown field. The
revitalization project represents well contemporary private initiatives and post modernism as
practiced by the private sector which created a positive impact for the public. The project is a
perfect example of the creation of a successful new place with image and identity. Shops and
restaurants are created at the centre and accessible by public transport using recycled industrial
buildings. The public sector only started to act later, after the developers proved their success,
by supporting the area through streetscape
improvements and a small pedestrian precinct for street
performances. The DC Navegantes outlet mall has
expanded since its first phase, and other private
developers responding accordingly by converting other
buildings and implementing more attractions and
revitalizing the surrounding area.
Figure 2-6: outlet shopping district in Porto Alegre
Source: Beyond Brasilia, Contemporary Urban design in Brazil, 2005

Social Seclusion
The public realm as a tool in responding to the social functions and quality of public spaces and
their services were major issues in urban design for ameliorating the gap between rich and
poor, and to compete for a better image. A significant number of governmental planning and
urban design efforts are geared towards the recuperation of the city – or at least parts of it – as

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

a pluralist environment, while seeking to extend social and cultural amenities to larger groups.
These efforts are particularly clear through the well known experiences in Curitiba and also in
other cities through the renovation of public spaces and the upgrading of favelas.
Rio Cidade
The first case study of urban design for social inclusion is Rio Cidade, a city wide program for
remodelling public spaces in Rio de Janeiro´s commercial cores. The project areas which
corresponding to historical neighbourhoods and to their most important retail and vehicular
arteries were very deteriorated and were taken over by street vendors and other forms of illegal
practices, reflecting the state of most public spaces. Responding to the new strategic plan,
renovation of the areas would
not only provide for better and
comfortable public use but
would also attract new private
investments, revitalize retail, and
transform their image and
consequently that of the city as
a whole – the program was also
a city marketing operation.
Figure 2-7: Renovated public spaces by Rio Cidade projects in Meier and Leblon
Source: Beyond Brasilia, Contemporary Urban design in Brazil, 2005

Sao Paulo
The second case-study in this group also focused in Sao Paulo, a city which performs important
urban interventions at complementary scales, ranging from large-scale urban projects to urban
design experiments in the street scale. On one side, the city
continuously deals with unregulated urban growth in the form
of illegal subdivisions, land invasions, and favelas in
preservation areas. One the other side, São Paulo is
increasingly facing the fragmentation caused by highways and
railways, meaningless modernist open spaces, and by “terrain
vagues” the transformation of post industrial spaces – brown
and grey fields, abandoned rights-of-way, etc.
Figure 2-8: left over spaces are utilized to create new connections
Source: Beyond Brasilia, Contemporary Urban design in Brazil, 2005

The three experiments analyzed (a specific urban architectural intervention at the city centre,
the upgrading of a favela in an environmentally sensitive area, and a project for restructuring a
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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

town centre through the use of terrain vasegues) show how much can be done through urban
design towards implementing meaningful public spaces and a new territorial logic through the
use of empty spaces as opportunities for new social and physical connections.
Upgrading Favela
The Favela Bairro is an innovated program launched by the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1994 to
upgrade favelas. Because the city understood that favelas are perceived as places of
marginality but differently from previous policies. Favela-Bairro recognized the long-term social
and capital investments that squatters did to their environment by providing them with physical
upgrading, access to public services, basic social programs, and most importantly land titles.
Environmental upgrading and security of tenure are fundamental steps toward community
development, integration to the city, socialization, and eventually full citizenship.
As with Rio Cidade, in Favela Bairro private firms were hired through public competitions to
carry out projects for almost one hundred small and
medium sized favelas throughout the city.
Community development included educational and
income generation projects such professional
training, work cooperatives, and hiring residents for
trash collection and reforestation. Sometimes new
community buildings were also built, such as day
care centres and new housing units for families
evicted from their original homes by the project.
Figure 2-9: Almost 100 squatter settlements upgraded
Source: Beyond Brasilia, Contemporary Urban design in Brazil, 2005

Favela Bairro´s design and management methodologies were essential for its success not only
because of the complex socio-cultural and spatial reality of each favela, but also because at any
given time it might engage dozens of simultaneous operations at various stages of execution
(Brakarz, 2002). Moreover, it is important to note that design and implementation included
participatory processes not only to engage the community in decision making and hiring heir
labor, but most importantly to persuade local strongmen and drug lords. Favela Barrio was a
strong success, and research shows that the governmental investments also encouraged
investments by the residents. In the late nineties the city noted that 450,000 people received
direct benefits from the program, the IDB recognized it as the “Project of the Year” title in 1998,
and it received the United Nations “Habitat Prize”.

32
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Brazilian cities have been practicing urban design and producing places that are more livable,
attractive, and responsive to communities. In fact, cities are encouraged to support urban
design as a public policy and to invest in development and environmental control not only as a
result of the country´s new legal-political framework, but also because it responds to societal
cultural demands that are deeply engraved in Brazilian traditions. Indeed, while privatization
takes on the public realm and produce entrenched spaces; many socio-cultural expressions can
only happen in the public realm and therefore depend on public spaces that are accessible and
minimally qualified. On one level, public events such as the carnival parades, religious
celebrations, soccer and sports events, etc demand one type of public realm. On the other level,
social encounters, dating, extended families, social networking, family recreation, etc demand
another type of public realm. Moreover, public spaces are even more important for the lower
income groups who depend on social networking for survival and rely on the public realm to
mediate class distinctions, and for whom the social domains of street (public) and house
(private) are never rigidly demarcated (Da Matta, 1991; Neuwirth, 2005). The street, the square,
the sidewalks, the parks, and the beaches will always be fundamental places for urban design,
for socialization and plurality in Brazilian cities. Therefore the investigation suggests that
contemporary urban design in Brazil has overcome the limitations of modernism, has become
more responsive to community needs, and is closer to real place making. Differently from the
modernist paradigm which relied on public sponsorship, centralized control, and a rigid model of
what a city should be, contemporary Brazilian urban design is postmodern in the sense that it
relies more on public-private partnerships and participation, and it incorporates different visions
of quality in the construction of public spaces. A socially inclusive development has one of it
pillars in the quality of the public realm. The shaping of cities and urban design as public policy
in Brazil will be increasingly fundamental in the quest for a truly pluralistic and culture specific
city, and for a fair social and economic development.

33
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

3 Contextual Background
3.1 Introduction
The earlier section of this study has shown the interpretation and meaning of spontaneous
cities, the impact of inner city redevelopment and the need to integrate inner-city heritage values
in urban redevelopment projects. Therefore, the content of this section will focus on the
contextual historical background of Addis Ababa as a whole and, more specifically, a functional
aspect of the case study area of ‘Serategna Sefer’.

The study will mainly focus on the tangible and intangible values of the historic site. The tangible
or the physical character is the quality of morphological elements such as: buildings with
architectural significance and the organic street pattern. The intangible or the non material
quality is the social and economic values that are achieved by the structural setting. In general
terms it is the ‘mixity’ which reflects the close proximity of everything everywhere.

3.2 Historical Development and Change

3.2.1 Spontaneous Growth and Spatial Structures of Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia was founded in

1886 in an open, existing countryside, without any village
structure, permanent buildings, or roads. It started as a
small settlement around the hot spring of “Filweha’ and
later around the ‘Gebbi’ of the Kings palace. The
settlement surrounding the Gebbi was that of the ‘nobility’
and those that served the palace. (Tarja L., 1990)

Many travellers such as Gleichen (1897), Merab (1920)

and Berlan (1963) that came from foreign countries to
visit Addis Ababa during this period described their
impression of the town as:
“a gigantic camp with the centre being a hill-top where
the king had his tent and the camp of the nobility and
those who served the royality surrounding the king’s
residence” (Bahiru Z., Richard P., & Emile F., 1987)

Figure 3-1: Addis Ababa, 1989

34
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

As previously mentioned the earliest settlement pattern of Addis Ababa has mainly been
concentrated in relation to the Imperial Palace (‘Gebbi’) and reflected the major settlement
patterns of the society at large. The Regional rulers (Rases) used to reside in the midst of their
followers and army settlements (‘Sefers’), which were scattered over a wide rugged territory
around the imperial palace (or the Gebbi) as a political centre and St. Georgis Church, as the
religious centre. (Bahiru Z., etal, 1987)

The ‘Sefers’ of the nobility gradually grew from a

collection of tents into an agglomeration of
thatched roofs and mud wall huts due to the free
distribution of plots of land to solders and returnees
from military services and followers of the
Emperor.

As Abatistoni and Chiari pointed out, most of the

‘sefers’ derived their identity from the names of the
nobility who were granted plots around the palace
such as Ras Mekonnen, Dejazmach Woube,
Figure 3-2: The first tents around ‘Filweha’ the
hot spring Dejazmach Abakoran and Shegole (‘Sheik Hojele’)
are among others. The classification of the city’s
neighbourhoods were also identified by the
characteristics that distinguished them from other
a) neighbourhoods, such as Dejazmatch Woube,

b) which was one of the neighbourhoods of Addis

c) where prostitutes were highly concentrated during
the Italian invasion. Neighbourhoods and the
names reflect the professional background of the
founders. To mention some: ‘Serategna Sefer
(workers/servants quarters), Zebegna Sefer
a) St. Georgis Church (guards of the palace quarters), Siga-bet
b) Minilik’s Sq.
(butchery), are some among others. ‘Serategna
c) ‘Arada’ market stalls
sefer’ and ‘Eri-bekentu,’ a residential area which
Figure 3‐3: Spontaneous growth developed as an extension of the palace, are one
Source: “The City and its Architectural Heritage by
Fasil G. & D. Gerard, 2007 of the first established ‘sefer' for those people who
were engaged in handicrafts and woodworks
around Menelik’s palace.
35
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

With respect to the early spatial structure of the city, Addis Ababa’s winding street was laid out
in an organic manner along the undulating terrain especially in the old city centre. With further
growth of the city, the dots of the first camps were connected and a network of streets formed.
Here, new and modern urban facilities, like shops, hotels, cinemas, administration, workshops,
and the like emerged. (Bahiru Z., etal, 1987)

The town follows seven major routes that originally linked the imperial Gebbi with the rest of the
city, the sefers, the residential nodes of the powerful monarchs’ and the country. To mention
some: the first route leads southwest to Filweha and beyond, to the railway station, the second
explores Arada, the old market area. Bridges and streets were laid-out in an organic manner
along the undulating terrain. It can be mentioned that the construction of bridges conquered the
barriers of connecting different ‘sefer’s ‘within and to the ‘Gebbi’. For example, the Kebena river
bridge built by the Russian legation linked not only the sefers but also the whole eastern half of
the city to Arada.

The city is bounded by many rivers. The main ones are: (from east to west) Kebena, Kechene,
Gordome and Bulbula Rivers which goes to further south. Previously the rivers were the life of
the inhabitants but they become the threat recently. From 70’s to date they were serving as
Kebele and kefetegna boundaries. (ibid)

This marked the first land use pattern of the city which can actually be considered as old
unplanned neighbourhoods. Moreover, this historical origin of the city has also produced a multi-
cantered urban system, where different functions and different social and economic classes still
mingle and live together. This mode of development continued to exist in the subsequent years
without substantial planning intervention. (Ashenafi G., 2001)

3.2.2 Change in the Settlement Pattern

There are mainly two reasons for the change in the pattern of the town especially towards the
south. The first is the 1907’s Land Tenure System which broke the feeling of ‘impermanence’
that had been continued to hang on the city. The second is the building of the 1917 ‘Railway
Station’. In addition to this, the establishment of ‘Gulits’ (Traditional Markets), and the
development of a commercial area in ‘Arada’, which became the cultural and the economic
centre of the city, gave the city centre a vibrant character.

A significant development in the spatial structure and settlement pattern of the city occurred
during the period of Italian occupation (1937-41). The Italians prepared a plan that changed the
settlement pattern of Addis Ababa. In the manner of colonial mentality of zoning, the plan was
36
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

made by making a political centre (the area around the Foreign Ministry), a commercial centre
(the area around the National theatre, as well as the segregated indigenous market ‘merkato”
which led to the relocation of the local residents to ‘Addis Ketema’ area. Among the Italians
themselves, a hierarchical settlement pattern was established where the higher class Italians
were located in the ‘Casa Inncis’ area whereas the lower class Italians were located in ‘Casa
Popolare’ (Bahiru Zewde et.al., 1987).

After liberation from the Italian occupation, two major developments occurred. One is the
Administrative division of the city into ten ‘woredas’ (Districts) consisting of large territorial
entities generally incorporating many ‘sefers’. The second major development was the attempt
to lay out a master plan designed for the future growth of Addis Ababa. This task was given to
the British architect Sir Patrick Abercombie. It was a thirty-year plan of urban development with
the objectives of dividing the city into Political, Residential, Commercial and Industrial zones so
as to overcome the problem of congestion by creating ‘Satellite’ towns. (ibid)

The change was not only focused on the spatial structure of the city but also on the architectural
character of buildings. Buildings began to develop and the original shape of the town began to
expand towards the south of the city. Various public and residential buildings were erected in
the early years of the twentieth century. The building types changed from residential to ground
plus fives apartments, governmental offices and public facilities. The aesthetic character of the
buildings also changed in relation to the different architects that were commissioned to design
such buildings for different purposes. To mention some: the Bank of Abyssinia, ‘Itegue’ hotel
and Menelik II school can be cited as examples. In general, Addis Ababa’s historical buildings
were influenced by numerous foreign nationals like Indians, Arabs, Greeks, Italians, Germans
and French architects who resided in the city during the period. (F. Ghiorgis and D.Gerard,
2007)

To conclude, these historical buildings gave the city a unique character (especially residences
of former dignitaries) that no other countries have. Moreover, unlike most African cities, Addis
Ababa’s social fabric was and still is mixed between the rich and the poor.

3.2.3 The Current Situation of Inner-City in Addis Ababa

As mentioned earlier, Addis Ababa, has maintained its spontaneous and organic character
throughout its development starting from an agglomeration of villages into a modern capital and
metropolis. However the situation in the inner-city areas have become worse due to many years
of neglect and overcrowdings which are sub-standard housing with little or basic municipal
infrastructure services; limited resources for improvement of dwellings and engagement in
37
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

home-based small businesses and informal activities. However, one can observe that these
inner-city neighbourhoods are also rich in historic buildings and intangible heritage with strong
social ties and employment opportunities. But the municipal authorities and the local (‘kebelle’)
administrations have been unable to carry out the constant maintenance of such historic
building with architectural significance and residential houses under their control.

A high mixed nature of tenure, lack of maintenance rules lead to inappropriate repair,
deterioration of residential houses, blocking of the once permeable narrow and winding streets
and the misuse of cultural spaces which used to play significant role for social ties. The
uncontrolled ‘Kitiya’ (extension) houses that have been built for years on and around the old
houses have also contributed to the congestion of these inner-city areas. Hence the neglect that
such housing has endured is evident. Buildings with architectural significance are maintained by
the residents without any professional support. All these problems have added up to make the
inner-city centres of the city as a whole to be categorized as ‘slums’ and subject to the currently
on-going urban redevelopment program.

3.2.4 Urban Disinvestment

The 1974 revolution that took place in Ethiopia and the subsequent nationalization of all urban
land and extra houses in 1975 Known as ‘Government Ownership of Urban Lands and Extra
Houses,’ (Proclamation 47/1975) brought about fundamental changes in the urban environment
of the country.

After this period the government became the only provider of rental housing which accounted to
about 60 percent at the time when Proclamation. No. 47 was issued. About 90 percent of
landlord controlled houses went to the newly established kebele administrations and the rest fell
under the control of the Addis Ababa Rental Houses Authority (AARHA). Accordingly, the
management and up-keep of the majority of rental housing and development of the urban
neighbourhood fell on the local kebele administrations which were expected to undertake this
task from the collection of rental payments from the predominantly low-income households. Due
in large part to the fact that kebele administrations were financially strapped because the rental
payments from the kebelle houses are very low (less than 100 birr per month) as well as
management inefficiencies, there has been little or no investment made to maintain the housing
stock and infrastructure networks and services in the old, inner-city neighbourhoods of Addis
Ababa which has led to further deterioration and decay of such neighbourhoods.

38
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

The fact that the majority of houses are owned by the government means the inhabitants are
less likely to see their houses as an investment. On the other hand, there is no consistent policy
that encourages house ownership, especially for low income people. There are no support to
the maintenance of residential houses as well as for the buildings with architectural significance.
Furthermore the safeguarded social structure which all plays a vital role for the existence of the
physical, social and economic values of the historic inner-city neighbourhood.

Lack of specific regulations and policies regarding to the improvements of historic buildings,
prevent any small efforts to improve dwellings. The high expectation on the construction
materials that can be used for building has stopped the majority of the low income population
from making any kind of improvements to their dwellings.

Affordable alternatives have not been provided and this means the majority of the housing stock
has not seen any repairs for quite some time.

This lack of capacity has lead to close to four decades of neglect in the upkeep of the majority of
the inner-city neighbourhood within Addis Ababa. Developments in the residential inner-city
areas in the form of infrastructure and services have not been able to cope with the high rate of
urbanization. Therefore, the capacity to manage the houses for the kebele as well as for the
rental houses is currently a challenging task requiring not only public investment but making
such inner-city areas economically attractive for private investments; the residents in such inner-
city neighbourhoods and other non-governmental actors.

3.2.5 Cultural Spaces Misused

Uncontrolled extensions (Kitiya) of houses, a common phenomenon in many compounds, have
been affecting the physical structure of the city for a prolonged number of years. Many of the
original households have made additions; legal or not, for additional income from rent or to
accommodate a bigger household. These can also be termed as downward conversions. It
either involves subdividing a bigger house or compound into smaller units or adding buildings
within one compound. Sometimes these kinds of ‘kitiya’ extend on the street network and
already narrow streets become narrower or sometimes blocked. This system affects the cultural
spaces where residents use for their day to day activities. It has also given rise to more over-
crowding of structures within the city. The demand for inner city locations that offer small rooms
at affordable prices is high in a situation where there is an increasing urban population. There is
a demand for these downward conversions because the city population has been growing. The
majority cannot afford to own houses and desire the advantages of the inner city. There are

39
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

lessons to be learned from such type of housing. First, it shows a spontaneous response to the
need for more space and more income generating opportunities. The fact that it is most
concentrated in inner city locations is evidence for the growing demand for affordable inner city
rental housing. Finally, with most of these subdivisions and additions being undertaken without
construction permits, it shows a lack of capacity to enforce building and planning regulations by
the city administration. (Ashenafi G. 2001)

3.3 Current Inner-city Renewal Approach in Addis Ababa

Because of the rapid economic transformation taking place in Addis Ababa, inner-cities have
become valuable for investment. As a result, these economic pressures have lead to further
elimination of the older housing and the displacement of the original residents.

Inner-city areas are more significant and important than is commonly realized. Almost all cities,
even fast-growing ones, have an older housing stock. In Addis Ababa, the housing stock is
quantitatively very important.

The current redevelopment/renewal approach to the inner-city areas in Addis Ababa is a

comprehensive one where the city government’s desire for a “clean” and “orderly” city began to
show up in the modernist planning principles.

The generalization of terms like ‘low-income neighbourhood’ or the less desirable term ‘slum’
are quite often misleading. This is necessarily the case because of national variations in
income, city characteristics, housing policies and administration, not to mention a host of other
historical and socio-cultural factors. Concerning the danger of generalization and the great
variations among settlements in developing countries, Payne (1977) observed that even where
all other variables remain constant, there is a big contrast between settlements of colonial and
indigenous cities. While low density and high amenity values characterize the cores of colonial
cities, those of the indigenous are more homogeneous in nature and usually built in response to
more local needs.

Settlements of Addis Ababa are of diverse character in many respects: in terms of age, spatial
location, type of construction, physical deterioration of dwellings and surroundings,
overcrowding of dwellings and population, value of land, adequacy of services, community
organization, ethnic composition, legal status etc.

The delineation of inner-city areas in Addis Ababa for the purpose of renewal understandably
puts emphasis on different criteria. In many occasions, decisions on setting boundaries and
selection of sites were made on the basis of land values and acceptability of the site by private

40
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

developers rather than in response to the needs of residents and identifying the most
dilapidated areas in the city.

3.4 The Impact of Renewal in the inner-city Areas

The Addis Ababa city authorities have not paid much attention to inner-city historic buildings
rehabilitation. This is because the focus of the government was largely on new development. It
was argued by the authorities that in view of the large amount of accumulated housing deficit
and pressing need, the government has not the resources to deal with housing and
environmental improvement programs, no matter how substandard they might be, until the
housing shortage is overcome.

Moreover, the unrealistic attitude of the city authorities to the existing low-income housing,
particularly in light of the contribution of the inner-city housing stock to the city’s overall housing
need, as insignificant while such settlements house almost a third or more of the entire city’s
population is an example of lack of realism. This would mean that in Addis Ababa, until recently
very little efforts have been made by the government to design and implement appropriate
strategies to improve existing settlements. As a result, the inner-cities continued to decline, with
their physical, economic, social and cultural values under-estimated.

41
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

4 Case Study: ‘Serategna Sefer’/Labourers’ Camp/

4.1 Neighbourhood Character

4.1.1 Site Location

The study area, ‘Serategna Sefer’, is geographically located in the Central Northern part of
Addis Ababa known currently as Arada Sub-City, Woreda 10/13, and bounded by Gulele, Yeka,
Addis Ketema, Lideta and Kirkos sub-cities. Adwa Avenue and the road that connects “Eri
Bekentu” formerly known as Dejach Jote street are also the main links to the site. The study
sites bounding coordinates are; at lower corner (38° 45’ 10.1” E & 09° 01’ 42” N) and at the
upper corner (38° 45’ 25.1” E & 09° 01’ 56.7” N) It covers an area of eight hectares as
measured from Addis Ababa city Nortech map. The site is bounded by different spontaneously
formed ‘sefers’ such as, “Ire bekentu”, “Doro manekiya”.‘Ketchene River’, is the natural
boundary which separates ‘Serategna Sefer’ and Arat kilo/ ‘Basha wolde Chilot’ renewal project,
is also located in the SE side of the site.

Figure 4‐1: Arada Sub‐city & the neighbouring ‘sefer’

Source: Own Computation

42
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

4.1.2 Topography and Slope Analysis

The topography of the study area shows significant slope variation ranging from 2400 to 2450
meters above sea level (see Fig.4.2. below Topography of an area has its own impact on the
settlement pattern and accessibility of urban neighbourhood functions. Thus, it has an effect on
the socio-economic conditions as well as the physical settings of an area.

Boundary

0‐5

Slope (%)
5 ‐ 10

10 ‐15

Figure 4‐2: Topographic and Slope Map

Source: extracted from Addis Ababa Nortech map

4.1.3 Existing Land Use

As Fig 4.3 indicates, the study area is mainly dominated by residential area since ‘serategna
sefer’ is an old neighbourhood. However, the majority of the houses are in bad condition. Multi-
story buildings aligning the main road are of mixed use and the streets are very vibrant. Some of
the buildings which have historical significance are found in the study site as well.

Legend
(50.7 %) Residential

(4.1%) Mixed use

(4.7%) Commercial

(4.4%) Services

Collector Road
7.4% Figure 4‐3: Existing Land use
Main Road Source: Generated from Addis Ababa city
Nortech map
(28.6%) Open Space &
Pedestrian Streets

43
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

4.1.4 Integration to the surrounding

The site is easily accessible and integrated into some of the major commercial, educational,
entertainment and religious centres as well as some governmental offices. The close proximity
to everything everywhere, makes the place very convenient for the low and middle income
residents of the area, ’Atkilt Tera’, a major market place for vegetables and fruits is located just
900mts from the neighbourhood and is a source of employment and livelihood for most of the
residents of this neighbourhood. Moreover, there is a choice of transport facilities available in
the locality. The site is linked to well known cultural and religious activities such the City Hall ,
the first Hotel “Taitu Hotel”, St. George Church, cinemas as well as local markets which are all
found In close proximity.

Figure 4‐4: the study area and its integration

Source: Own Computation

4.1.5 History of the Area and Personal Accounts of Residents

Two respondents who have resided in the area for a long time (40 and 70 years respectively),
recounted that the area began to be inhabited during the reign of Emperor Menelik II. As the
name of the village itself suggests (“serategna Sefer” or “Labourers camp”), the area was
established by labourers who came from Northern Shoa and served Menelik’s palace by
engaging mainly in metal works. The place was also popularly known as “Madesha Bet” which
literally means a place for repairing war armaments of the palace. The place used to provide
handicrafts, woodwork and agricultural implements as well as the repair of artillery. Initially, the
area was used by the labourers as a temporary settlement and the houses built were similarly

44
In
ntegrating Inne
er-City Historric Neighbourh
hood in Urban
n Redevelopm
ment Program
ms of Addis Ababa
A

made of
o temporary
y structuress. Graduallyy, however, the place began to be a perm
manent
settleme nts working in the area
ent for the labourers with some off the residen a buying land and
building one and tw
wo story hou
uses made of
o mud and wood. Mostt of the build
dings were owned
o
ular figures who reside in the area such as “B
by popu Basha Mulat” and the Armenian
A arcchitect
“Monsie
eur Minas Ke
erbekian wh
hose wood built
b residen
nce still exissts. There are also othe
er well
known buildings
b buiilt for Grazm
mach Sahle and
a AtoTaye
e.

4.1.6 E
Elements off Urban Tissue
ban tissue off Addis Ababa is characcterized by a “mixity” with different social
The indigenous urb
strata, functions,
f an
nd economie
es. With the
e growth of the
t city, the dots of the
e first campss were
connectted and a ne
etwork of strreets formed
d. Here, new
w and mode
ern urban facilities like shops,
s
hotels, cinemas, ad
dministration
n, workshop
ps, and the like emerged. In betw
ween these liners,
connecttions with mo
odern featurres street–lin
ners, some la
arge areas with
w mainly traditional
t bu
uilding
structure
es develope
ed in the in-fills. (J. Baum
meister and N.
N Knebel, 2009)
2

Likewise
e, ‘Serategn
na sefer’, is one
o of the old eighbourhoods of Addis Ababa whe
o urban ne ere the
settleme
ent has bee
en growing spontaneo
ously. The site
s was a place originally used as a
tempora
ary settleme
ent with tentts by craftsm g the imperial palace. Through
men serving T time, the
area be
ecame a permanent
p s
settlement with differe
ent social groups
g setttling in the area
transforming the old
d neighbourrhood where
e in-fills grad
dually becam
me characte
erized with a high
density low rise residential area
a. These den ated houses are kebele owned and share
nsely popula
at least one wall. These
T house
es use a co
ommunal se
ervice area and
a usually share toiletts and
kitchen. In some cases,
c the residential houses
h are used for additional
a in
ncome gene
erating
business such as ‘g
gulits’ and kiiosks. And also
a some of these resid
dents rent th
heir single houses
on a daiily basis or share
s their ro
ooms.
The in-fillls , the mosst common typology arre low-rise houses
h sharing a
common wall
w but some
etimes detacched housess within a co
ompound. Lo
ooking
at the in-fills, one findss that streetss are mostly extensions of private sp
paces.
Here, ‘housing is chara
acterizes ass a ‘v erb’. Ass Turner poiinted out it iss what
it does to the
t people ra
ather than what
w it is. (Tu
urner etal, 19
972).
Street-line
ers are mostly medium-rise, low-den
nsity mixed use building
gs with
a commerccial space on the ground
d floor and re
esidential ap
partments ab
bove.
(J. Baumeister and N. Knebel, 200
09)

Figure 4‐5
5: In‐fills & Strreet – liners
Source: J..Baumeister & N. Knebel, 20 009

45
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

4.2 Physical Setting Analysis

Forms and Spaces

Figure 4‐6: Serategna sefer

Source: Author

4.1.7 Spatial Relationships and Typologies

The figure ground diagram in (Fig. 4.7) below gives an indication of how the buildings, the
spaces between buildings and the winding streets function in relation to their surroundings, and
opens up the discussion on socially acceptable amounts, distributions and sizes of open space.

c
a b Mixed use buildings built in the 60’s
with intimate scale to the area and
reflect the character of piazza. And
d a newly built Condominiums

b c

d
Courtyard type houses built with
predominant material of ‘chika, &
wood’ and ‘alley ways’ one of the
character of street network in the
in-fill area.

Figure 4‐7: Figure – Ground Relationships and Typologies

Source: Own Computation

46
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

The diagram gives a clear image of the open space and the built form and how it relates to each
other. Different typologies can be identified, as presented in the small thumbnail images of
different locations of the site. The figure - ground relationships indicates that the space without
built structures and built form is related to the activities that can take place in the space.

4.1.8 Layout and Form of spaces / buildings

The layout and form of space analysis in organically developed area concerns with the way a
building is laid and occupies its site, how it relates to other buildings and to the street and
block/plot sizes which are a base for harmonious integration.

The layout and form which is indicated in the typologies shows that the building masses are in
varying angles to each other, introducing a degree of variety into the irregular layouts, rejoicing
in the variety of combinations in the study area. Regarding building height, the area in the in-fill
have a maximum of G+2 where as the maximum height in the street-liners are six storey but
most of the houses in the study area are single-storey residential houses. The 2011 report on
building height regulation updating study for Addis Ababa indicated that buildings in the old core
centre should have 1–5 storeys..

Characters of buildings on the main road, buildings of this type are mixed-use built after the
1960s. This period seems to be a transition in the use of construction materials and techniques
from the previously dominant construction material (mud or chika, stone and wood) to reinforced
concrete and glazed windows. In particular, the use of decorating with wood carvings and fully
glazed balconies has completely disappeared. Entrance ways are less elaborate and decorative
elements for windows are very minimal.

The three-dimensional characters of the existing and the added “kitiya” changed the qualities of
building height, massing and silhouette, and change the traditional urban grain size both in them
and in their surroundings. Consequently, the combination of existing and added structures
provides spaces of different scales, form, street fronts, and very small courtyards that reference
the area’s original organic character.

Building height in the in-fill area is characterized by unregulated building resulting in a mixture of
structures that combine residential and commercial activities. Extensions or ‘Kitiya’ to the
original houses reveal the logic of informal construction and building typologies. These
typologies of houses are changing the height in an unregulated manner and expand horizontally
blocking the local roads.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Improvised extension was a typical

characteristic of the old settlements, extension
and modification of planned units had become
customary since 1970s. Low income
households are capable of adding
considerable amount of housing to the existing
stock by the use of traditional material and
technology, Self help extension and
modification is locally referred as ‘kitiya’.

Houses narrowing the existing local street Dwellers carry out progressive horizontal
Transformed local streets by ‘kitiya’ houses extensions on the orthogonal plots until a

Figure 4‐8: kitiya houses saturated level is reached. (Essayas A., 2000)
Source: Author

Most one-story, single-family houses have been transformed into two-story, multi-family
households. The diversity of adaptations to the built environment seems endless. Despite the
hyper-specificity of each modification, the overall urban environment appears quite
homogeneous types which is ‘cheka’ or mud and use of corrugated iron sheets. It makes the
place look like patches of holes / CIS neighbourhood.

As it is mentioned in the study of Dr. Ashenafi

nearly 40% of the total housing stock, which is
predominantly occupied by low-income
residents, is owned by the state. Even though
it has a positive effect in terms of affordability
for low-incomes, it has a negative effect on the
investing and on the low-income housings as a
result housing shortage and deterioration was
developed over the year. (Ashenafi G., 2001)
Figure 4‐9: kitiya houses
Source: Author

Even though a significant number of ‘kitiya’ houses can be observed in the area, the
respondents were not genuine about their answer because some say they have the extension
without permission of the ‘kebele’ authorities, but some deny the fact that there exists an

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

extension of houses. Consequently 77% of the residents say there is no expansion of houses
whereas only 13% responded saying that they built extension rooms due to the increase of
family size or because they want to get additional income through rent. Around 10% of the
respondent decline to answer about the additional room they built.

4.1.9 Changes in the Neighbourhood

Many of the residents have been engaged in building informal houses which has had a major
influence in changing the neighbourhood structure and settlement patterns. The residents built
these extension houses in order to increase their income by renting such informal houses to
people coming from other areas. This has led to serious problems of congestion and lack of
open spaces previously used for different purposes (communal kitchen; playground etc.). The
streets have also become very narrow because the residents have been extending their
buildings on the local streets. The kebele, which owns most of the houses, has not been able to
control such informal buildings and the residents do not usually object since they themselves
might construct such buildings subsequently when there is a need to do so. The respondents
also pointed out that the kebele, with the support of CARE, an NGO, had in the past attempted
to carry out lining the streets with cobblestone by demolishing some of the informal buildings but
the residents have again constructed informal buildings on the streets.

In general the sites have both positive and negative aspects, where the positive aspect are
vibrant street life, intimate scale of the street social network, mixed land use small and narrow
frontage houses, mix of commercial and social activities, a sense of history and cultural heritage
and heterogeneity of architectural style and the negative aspects are loss of original houses
along with their architectural and historical value due to imposed chaotic variety of façade,
violation of building height and design standards. The need for commercial spaces and extra
rooms for rental engaged the inhabitants in projection of buildings invasion of private and public
spaces.

4.1.10 Buildings with Architectural and Historical Significance

Some 35 historically and architecturally significant buildings were identified in the study site
based on their historical value, age, building material, construction techniques and architectural
style. Some of the buildings with Architectural and Historical significance located in the study
area are indicated in the figure below: (43) Muse Minas Kerbekian Residence /owned by Rental
Housing Agency: multiple family residence/, (A) Besmelian (Elias) Residence/ Avakian, (B)
Indian National School three storey building.

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43 A B

Figure 4‐10:
4 Buildingss with Architecctural and Histtorical Significa
ance
Source: Author

The figu
ure below sh
hows reside
ential buildings found in the study area
a that are
e not identifiied on
the masster plan as those
t which have archite
ectural significance.

Figure 4‐11: Selected

d Buildings
Source:: Author d historic buildings
Selected

“… Residen ntial housess display the e widest divversity in la

ayout. Their spatial repe
ertoire
r
ranges fromm a simple ciircular or ovval plan to complicated geometric
g fo
orms, from simple
s
g
generic form
ms to juxtapo
ose regular volumes.”
v (F
Fasil G. & Deennis G., 20
007)

The phyysical analysis of the building

b type
es in and arround the in
n-fill area arre categorizzed as
buildings with archittectural sign
nificance which include the
t buildingss that have been identiffied as
‘historica
al’ by the Addis
A Abab
ba tourism and
a culture bureau. A significant number of these
building
gs are locate
ed in ‘Arada
a’ sub-city. To
T mention some close
e to the stu
udy area are
e: (40)
Cinema Ethiopia, (41)) Muse Nazarreth & Bagdra
a Iyana (comm
mercial), (42) Paulos Kordas, (private multiple
m
family residence), (44
4) Etege Taitu
u Hotel, (45) Karakachian
K R
Residence (kkebele administration office
e), (46)
Adnew /m
multiple familly residence/,, (47) Alfred Ilg Residence
e, (48) Artin Avakian
A Resid
dence, (49) Bank
B of
Abyssinia
a. The origina
al owners of the buildingss marked as(C
C,D,,E,F,H,,I,H and K) cou
uld not be ide
entified
excepte (G) belongs to
t the well kno
own landlord in the area Grazmach
G Mu
ulat.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Residential
Buildings
Public
Buildings

Figure 4‐12: Historic Buildings in Arada Sub‐City

Source: Addis Ababa, Cultural tourism bureau, 2010

4.1.11 Buildings with Aesthetic Character

The building typology and façade treatment employed for the study area assesses historic
buildings in terms of several factors, namely, their plan, elevation, design, use, construction
technology, and materials. The categorization of buildings in such manner allows for a better
understanding of their socio-economic status, as well as the lifestyles and needs of their
residents.
Most of traditional buildings of different
typologies were constructed using similar
Sample of the Architectural features found in
‘Serategna Sefer’ materials and finishes, the only difference
being in the level of detailing and
architectural ornamentation, as well as in the
quality of the workmanship. Generally, the
post 1950s era can be considered the point
Closed veranda for Wooden Balconies at which traditional materials were
decorative and ventilation
abandoned in favour of more modern
materials, and yet, in spite of this, traditional
building materials had been replaced.
Consequently, there are often links between
different building types: at times these links
Carved wooden façade Finial, a distinctive feature of
displaying ‘Indian’ influence Addis Ababa Style are based on similarities between the
construction techniques and the architectural

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

language used, and at others they are based

on the persistence of conventions of spatial
distribution across several building periods.
Most of the buildings have Indian, Armenian
and Italian Architectural influence.

Figure 4‐13: Buildings with Aesthetic character

Source: Author

“Buildings display a style of a strong façade. Entrances are raised from the ground level
and are reached by many stairs … decorative fascia is mainly of Indian origin, close and
open veranda used as a decorative element or as a ventilation… low-relief carvings
showing birds, plants and animals… the roofing of buildings of the pre-1900 period was
traditionally made of thatch and decorated underneath with bamboo bound by leather
straps, a robust and decorative technique. A distinctive feature of the Addis Ababa style
is the ‘finial’ which are compared with cupolas, are made of wood and placed at the top
of the ridge cap of palaces or more humble residence. Finials are purely a decorative
element.” (Fasil G. & Dennis G., 2007)

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4.1.12 Housing
H Sta
atus and Co
onstruction
n Material

This section consid

ders the ho
ousing enviro
onment, in particular housing
h conditions and utility
service and infrastru
ucture.

Housing
g unit cond
ditions
The hou
uses in the
e sites unde
er study are d and dilapidated, and the facilities and
e congested
amenitie k even the basics, such as separate spaces for washing, toiilet and kitch
es often lack hens –
and these facilities,, when pressent, tend to
o be shared between a numbers off households. this
section reviews dom es and facilitties, notably the kitchen, availability of drinking water,
mestic utilitie
and toile
et.

arding the housing co

The ressult of the study rega onditions sh
hows that only
o 19% of
o the
respond
dents stated that their ho
ousing unit was
w so dete
eriorated and
d needs rebuilding. Abo
out 8%
were off the opinio
on that their housing units
u were in good condition and need no repair.
r
Moreove
er, about 58% of the respondentss were of the
t view tha
at their hou
using unit was
w in
reasona
able conditio
on and need little repair while
w 15% said
s that theiir housing un
nits needed major
repair.

Housing
g units con
nditions in th
he inner-cityy case study area

70
58
60
50
40
(%)

30
19
20 15
8
10
0
Need little or
o Needs Needs majo
or Needs noo
some repair rebuildingg repair repair
Figu
ure 4‐14: housiing unit condittion
Souurce: own Comp putation

Contraryy to what was

w ndents, however, the ob
said by the respon bservation made
m of the
e area
during the
t o this studyy indicates that the hou
course of using units that require
e major repa
air are
more tha
an stated by
y the respondent which puts
p the resu
ults of the in
nterviews que
estionable.

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aterial
Wall ma

The mo
ost common wall buildin
ng material for
f the majo
ority of low income hou
using in the study
area is wood
w and mud/chika/.
m T
This has bee
en the indige
enous wall construction
c he city
system in th
(mud and straw on
n a timber framework) which in most
m cases is without foundationss. The
findings from the su
urvey show that 81% off the househ
holds have walls
w made of wood and
d mud
nly 18% have
while on e walls made of cementt blocks, corrrugated iron sheet (CIS)) or brick.

The wall constructio

on materialss predomina
antly used in
n the case study area characterize
es the
g units as sub-standarrd since “.... the requirements se
housing et by the city
c and su
ub-city
adminisstration are permanent materials such
s as brrick and ho
ollow cemen
nt blocks (H
HCB).”
(Mihiretu
u T., 2005).

Percenta
age distributio
on of housing units by type
es of wall con
nstruction ma
aterials

90
0 81
80
0
70
0
60
0
(%)

50
0
40
0
30
0
20
0
10
0 6 6 4 2
0
wood andd corrugatted brick and
a cementt blocks stoeen and
mud/chikaa/ iron sheeet cemeent cement
Figure 4‐1
15: wall materrial
Source: own
o Computatiion

Floor material
m
It may be
b observed
d from the graph below that more th
han half of the
t housing units in the
e case
study arrea are ceme
ent screed floors
f and ab
bout 17% ha
ave wooden floors. The survey
s show
ws that
13% of floors
f are co
overed with earth
e or plasstic tiles.

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Percenta
age distributio
on of housing units in the study
s area by type of floor construction
c m
materials

58
60
0
50
0
40
0
(%)
30
0
20
0 17
13 13
10
0
0
cement wooden plastic tiles earth/ mud
screed

Figure 4‐16: Floor consstruction mateerial

Source: own
o Computattion

Roof material

The ressults of the observation

o show that 92%
9 of the housing
h units in the stud
dy area havve roof
structure
es made of corrugated iron sheet. Most
M of the corrugated iron
i sheets have badly rusted
r
and sho
ow signs of le
eaking which
h exhibit the
e lack of consstant mainte
enance.

Percenta
age distributio
on of housing units by type
e of Roof con
nstruction ma
aterial

100 92
80
60
40
20 6 4.5
2
0
ccorrugated iron
n wood other
sheet

Figure 4‐‐17: Roof mateerial

Source: own
o Computattion

In conclusion, the above figuress show the state

s of physsical deteriorration of the inner-city ho
ousing
hich seem to
units wh o have resulted due to the
t absence
e of mainten
nance since the housing
g units
were firrst nationaliz
zed by the previous go
overnment. The study also found that most of the
houses are one-roo
om tenementts and some
e of them are
e in a very poor
p conditio
on. The majo
ority of
pondents have stated th
the resp hat they try to
t repair the interior of their houses from time to
o time
but theyy do not hav
ve the capaccity or the means
m to fix the exterior of the build
dings. The kebele,
who ow
wns most of the
t houses in the studyy area has th
he responsib
bility of repa
airing but doe
es not

55
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

do so. The main reason why the housing units are in poor condition is long time neglect or
capacity to fix these housing units by the kebelle, although some of them need minor
maintenance or upgrading. Some of the respondents said that an NGO called CCF used to
assist them in rehabilitating the houses and constructing of facilities such as common toilets and
water points previously but has terminated its activities some years back.

4.1.13 Utility Services and Infrastructure

This section focuses on the infrastructure and utility services such as water supply, electricity,
sewerage and drainage facilities refuse collection and disposal and accessibility of the area
within and in connection to the surrounding neighbours. Most of the households who live in the
same compound have common toilet, kitchen and water tap facilities while a few have their own
private kitchen and toilets (in most cases pit latrine). There are also some households who do
not have toilet facilities at all and use ditches and open spaces for sanitation purposes. In some
cases, the NGO, CCF, has supported the households in the construction of the service facilities
including mud road covered with cobble stone before terminating its activities. The respondents
also pointed out that the kebele sometimes maintains the common facilities but not the houses.
They are also of the view that the CCF terminated its support because the plan is to demolish
the houses in the area for redevelopment. There are no solid waste disposal facilities in the area
which is a major problem and some of the respondents stated that they throw their garbage’s in
the nearby river or ditches which has led to very bad smell in the area and unsanitary
conditions. The problem of sanitation and housing conditions has also been exacerbated in
recent times because of in-coming people who have been evicted from other areas of Addis
Ababa for urban redevelopment purposes such as Basha wolde chilot which resulted in
increase of population and the building of informal houses.

Water supply

The results of the interviews as well as the field visit made in the study area shows that almost
equivalent of 96% have shared pipes in their compound or public stand pipe (‘bono’) as a
source of water supply mainly built by a local NGO (CCF). Only 4% of the households have
water supply within their own dwellings. .

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Distributiion of housing
g units by sou
urce of drinkiing water

60 50
50 46
40
30
20
10 4
0
pipe inside pipe in public
dwelling unit compound standpipee
(Bono)

Figure 4‐18: Public Stand

S Pipe “Bono”
Sourcee: own Computtation

Toilet fa
acilities

Percenttage distribu
ution of houssing units byy type of toilet facilities in the studyy area show
ws that
83% of the sample
ed household
ds had sharred dry pit latrines
l in th
heir compou
und. These toilets
were recently built by local NG
GO called CC
CF. 8% of th
he responde
ents have sa
aid that theyy have
et in their com
either a private toile mpound or have
h no toile
et facilities att all.
Distributiion of housing
g units by sou
urce of toilett
100 83 Shared to
oilet facility
80
60
40
20 8 8
0
d
dry pit latrine private toilet no toilet
in their outside the
compound house

Figure 4‐19: Public to

oilet facilities
Sourcee: Author
Types of
o bathing facility
f

The asssessment re
eveals that th
he great ma
ajority of the
e residents in u public shower
n the area use
facilitiess installed by
y the kebele
e in the vicin mall amount of charge. Be that as itt may,
nity with a sm
there arre some resiidents who cannot
c even
n afford such
h payment. There
T are also some priivately
owned showers
s that provide service by cha
arging reason
nable pricess.

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n facilities
Kitchen

Kitchen is perhaps one

o of the most
m importa
ant rooms in the house. In this studyy, the data re
eveals
e majority, about
that the a 79% of
o the samp
ple households use sha
ared kitchen
ns located in
n their
compou
und and 13%
% have priva
ate kitchen while
w 8% co
ook outside of their sing
gle houses. These
T
places can
c be at the
eir door step
ps or on the local
l streetss.

Distributiion of housing
g units by sou
urce of kitch
hen

100 79%
80
60
40 13 8
20
0
shared private a their
at
kkitchen in kitchen do
oorstep
the ou
utside the
c
compound house
Figure 4‐20:
4 kitchen facilities
f
Source:: own Computa ation

Solid waste
w dispos
sal

Accordin
ng to the re
esults of the
e interview of the sample
househo
olds, the re
ecent trend is the colle
ection of so
olid
waste by privately established
e c
collectors wh
hich collect the
t
waste frrom each house
h for a small fee. The
T portion of
hat is being collected by
waste th b these esttablishmentss is
90%. But disposing
g at the edg
ge of the river is anoth
her
issue which
w has be
een stated as
a a problem
m by residents
living ne
ear the river side. The municipality
m trrucks are the ones that collect and dispose
d the waste
every th
hree days. But ally takes fivve to seven days, as a result, has become a health
B this usua
problem
m to the resid
dents as we
ell as the collectors since
e the latter have
h to waitt for the mun
nicipal
trucks to
o pick up the
e waste from
m the collection sites.

Liquid waste
w dispo
osal

The sub
b-city health extension office
o tries to he residentss how to disspose of the liquid
o educate th
wastes from their kitchen or forrm washing clothes. The figure belo
ow shows th
hat the majo
ority of
4%) wash clo
the households (44 othes on strreet ditches or at the ed
dge of stree
ets and dispo
ose of
the liquid wastes on
o streets orr in the ditcches, accord
dingly while 31% use other
o method
ds not

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revealed
d during the study. Only 25% off the sample househo
olds use dittches inside
e their
Compou
unds.

Distributiion of housing
g units by type of liquid watse
w disposa
al

30 27
25%
25
20 17 15
15
10
5
0
using ditches
u on street at the edge off on any open
inside the ditches streets spaces they
compound can find

Figu
ure 4‐21: Liquid
d waste dispossal
Sourrce: own Comp putation

city
Electric
A majorrity of the ho
ouses have access to electricity.
e B the installation of the
But e power polle and
lines ne
eeds a very serious imp
provement. Very limited
d street ligh
hts are available on the
e main
road. So
ome residen
nts in the in-fill area have electric bu
ulbs at their front gate. The
T survey shows
s
that 77%
% of the hou
useholds ha
ave electricitty with priva
ate meters. 23%
2 has acccess to elecctricity
but with shared metter.
Distributiion of housing
g units by type of Electriciity

90
77
80
70
60
50
40
30 23
20
10
0
eelectricity/sharred electricityy/ private
meter meeter

Figu
ure 4‐22: Electrricity
Sourrce: own Comp putation

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

4.2 Streetscape and Public Realm

Streetscape and Pubic Realm

Figure 4‐23: ‘Seratenga Sefer’ Local Streets
Source: Author

People are sensitive to the spatial proportion of the environment. The way space is organized
provides information about what one might be able to do in that space.

Relph, E. (1976). Places and Placelessness. London: Pion.

The study area is located in an ideal place where access to public transport is relatively easy
and within walking distance. However, streets become very narrow and also blocked because
the residents have been extending their buildings on the local streets. As a result the majority,
80 %, of the housing units, were accessible only by undefined footpaths, while the remaining 20
% is along the asphalt road that bound the study area. There are mainly six main street
characters, namely, wide streets, street corners, narrow streets, inaccessible streets,
backstreets and steps. These have been defined and identified through observation and
photography. The experience and the level of activity in the place, as well as physical attributes
such as difference in edge zone, width and pavement have been defining elements in this
investigation.

4.2.1 Permeability /Accessibility/

Places can be said to be in good form when accessibility gives a number of alternatives. A
permeable environment allows people to move around with greater ease and with more routes to
choose from.

Ian Bentley et al, 1985

As mentioned in the previous chapter, this part of the inner-city neighbourhood has developed
spontaneously and is characterized by high pedestrian population. The construction of
extension houses in the middle of roads making a physical and visual barrier that reduces
accessibility.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Figure 4‐24: Existing Road Network

Source: own Computation

4.2.2 Main Street Character

The roads in the study area are very narrow, irregular, winding unpaved streets and with very
steep terrain that makes it very inconvenient for trucks and small vehicles to drive freely on such
roads. Due to this, public transportation such as mini-buses and public buses are only available
on the main road. On the other hand, the narrow winding character of the roads inside the study
area has made it easy for the low income residents to socialize and also plays a significant role
in their livelihood. Nowadays, however, the vehicular traffic congestion on the road which
passes through the Indian National School becomes a threat for the students as well as for most
of the residents in the neighbourhood.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

“Wide street/view ports/overviews (20 m width)”

High connectivity, good orientation to the
surrounding. Wide and accessible edge zone,
ground floor commercial, upper floor residential
apartments

Plan “A”

Figure 4‐25: Wide street/view ports/over views

4m 12m 4m
Source: Authors

Sect ion A - A

Residents living on lightly trafficked routes are more likely to use the street for their personal use
than those along the larger streets. The street or alley is a place where people work and
children play, where as the dead end streets and doorsteps are places where domestic chores
are performed. The neighbourhood has numerous small-scale local commercial activities such
as, washing clothes, coffee delivery, and ‘gulit’ (local market). Shopkeepers often arrange their
merchandise in front of their shop, extending out on the street. The street is a common place for

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

several other businesses such as street vendors which are common in the area. In this context,
shop accesses refer to commercial businesses where items or services are bought or sold.
“Street Corner”
High level of various activities. Both permanent and portable business.
Collecting road, very crowded, steep, pedestrian, vehicular no sidewalks
High activity & speed on the street.

Plan B-B

Figure 4‐26: Street corner

Source: Author

8m

Section B-B
‘Inaccessible/Steep Street’
Limited visual connection. Low activity/and almost non speed on the
street. Buildings with enclosed facades and no activity on the ground floor

Plan C-C

Figure 4‐27: Street corner

Source: Author

Section C-C
10m

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

The major portion of movement is pedestrian while vehicular movement is very limited except
for the major road and narrow winding stone surface streets are very common. Outside activities
are difficult to classify because many of the functions that take place on the streets are of a
temporary nature and inconsistently performed. These may include traditional events or
activities such as marriage ceremonies and death rituals that do not occur on a regular basis but
do utilize large sections of the alleyways.

“Narrow and Winding Streets”

No view to the sides and inaccessible edge zone with high level of
waste. Low connectivity. Enclosed facades towards the street, Structures
various materials.

Plan D-D

Figure 4‐28: Narrow and winding streets

Source: own Computation

At present, no green open spaces exist in the neighbourhood. There are also a limited number
of street amenities that are available in the area. Public lighting, for example, is usually found in
places of high traffic and public use in the evening hours. Although categorized as ‘public light’,
much of the area’s street lighting is maintained by local residents and is either in poor condition
or no longer working.

64
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

“Backside Street”
Residential/private feeling, Low activity. Low connectivity. Enclosed facades
towards the street. low standard structure

Figure 4‐29: Back side street

Source: own Computation
Plan E-E
Since the topography of the study area is very steep, stairs are very important. However, there
are very limited stairs found in the neighbourhood and they are in bad condition. The major road
which connects the high school and the ‘Adwa’ corridor (the street that marked on ‘backstreet”
figure) with a continuous deteriorated asphalt road is a very difficult one to walk along. The road
is about 0.6km. It also serves as a connection to the ‘Arsho laboratory’ which is frequently
visited by various patients including women and the elderly.

‘Stairs’
Very limited for such steep topography, deteriorated,
some of them blocked by informal structure

Plan F-F

Figure 4‐30: Stairs

Source: own Computation

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H
Hierarchy off spaces Ma
any of the houses
a constructted on smalll and narrow
are w plots
o land wherre residents live in sma
of all and
congested rooms. onsequently,
Co the
a
available spa
ace in the housing
h units are
D A
used by the households for private use
C such as coo
oking and sleeping while the
court yard area
a is use
ed for houssehold
B
chores like washing
w clo
othes. The
e front
doorsteps arre used for drying
d grain
ns and
clothes and are
a also the place for ch
hildren
o
to play. N
Neighbourho
ood placess, for
e
example roa
ad junctionss, function as a
small markett ‘gulit’ as well
w as a gathering
p
place for diffe
erent social occasions
o

Area “B” Ideal for Arrea “C” very close to Area “D” smmall market
Area “AA” used as a
meeting individual housses and spotted thro
oughout the
d for housing
courtyard coonvenient for control area
chores

A. Co
ourtyard B. Ro
oad Junction C.. Doorstep D Small markket (gulit)
D.
Figure 4‐31: hierarch
hy of the spacee
Sourcee: own Computtation

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n Redevelopm
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4.2.3 N
Non-Physic
cal Setting Analysis
A

The datta were collected in tw

wo ways; strructured inte
erview for the residentss who live in the
selected
d area for ex
xperimenting
g urban dessign and the
e other collecting metho
od was by fo
orming
eight groups which consists about ten household heads group discussion and in--depth
ws were em
interview mployed. Th
he interview
w questions mainly focu
used on ho
ousing status and
e, accounts of the histtory of the area,
conditions, tenure, service faccilities, houssehold size
changess in the neiighbourhood
d, and views of the co
ommunity on
n the localityy neighbourrhood,
vision fo
or improvements, and op
pinion on the
e redevelopm
ment. All thiss information
n was provid
ded by
the resp
pondents the
emselves and thus need
ds cautious in
nterpretation
n.

4.2.4 Socio-economic situattion

S

Tenure
‘
‘The more control
c people have ove
er their home
es, their envvironments, and their so
ources
o livelihood,, the better they
of t will be able
a to cope
e and improvve their living
g environment in a
g
gradual proc
cess.’ (Ashen
nafi G., 2001).

One of the reasons

s that have discouraged
d d the residen
nts in the study area no
ot to improve
e their
nvironment is
living en i lack of a clear tenure
e system. Most
M of the houses
h belong to the ‘kkebele’
although
h in some ca
ases they arre partly privvate and parrtly kebele re
entals. This kind of ownership
gives risse to tenure
e insecurity since the households do
d not have
e a feeling of
o ownership
p. The
results of
o the survey
y show that the majorityy, 81% of the buildings in the studyy area, are Kebele
K
owned and o 19% either privately owned or ren
a a total of nted from privately owne
ed household
ds. An
understa
anding of th
he subdivisio
on and tenu
ure status off building un
nits and plotts is importa
ant for
two main reasons: firstly,
f to identify the limiits of the buiilding units that can be subjected
s to direct
ntions; and secondly,
interven s to single out th
he potential actors
a of future building actions with
hin the
neighbo
ourhood. Info
ormation co wnership and tenure pa
oncerning ow atterns was obtained th
hrough
field inve
estigations.
Percenta
age distributio
on of housing units in the study area by tenure statu
us
renteed from kebelee
4
15 owneer occupied

renteed from privatee

81 HH

Figure 4‐32:
4 Tenure sttatus
Source: own Computa ation

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Demographic charracteristics
Among the heads of
o the households interviewed, 48% were male and 52% fe
emale. This shows
s
that the number of women-head
w ded househo
olds in the study
s area iss significant. Accordingly, any
ntion with reg
interven gard to the inner-city
i ne
eighbourhood improvement needs th
he participattion of
p. More interrestingly, through the en
this partticular group ntire focus grroup discusssion as well as the
househo
old survey, women we
ere the majjor participa
ants and ve
ery much concerned fo
or the
improve
ement of theiir neighbourrhood.

Sex stru
ucture of the household
h he
eads

Feemale Figure 4‐33

3: Demograph
hic characteristtic
48% Source: ow
wn Computatio
on
Male
52
2%

Age Strructure
The age
e structure shows
s that 21%
2 of the informants
i n the selected area are
in e between ag
ges of
15-30 and majority of the samp
ple are between the age
e of 31-45 which
w is 69%
% one can sa
ay that
up may com
this grou me to this are
ea for searcching cheape
er rental hou
using compa
ared to the rest
r of
the city or in search of jobs. The
e rest 11% are
a between ages of 46--60.

Marital Status

In termss of marital status,

s it wass found that 66 % of hou
useholds are
e headed byy male and among
a
them 23
3% of them are
a single and 43% are married. Frrom the total of 34% of female
f houssehold
heads about
a 19% are
a widowed
d and 15% of them are
e divorced. Therefore,
T th
he majority of the
househo
olds are hea
aded by fema
ale single, divorced or widowed
w male. These findings, ass could
fem
be expe
ected, indica
ate that the social group
p that is like
ely to be mo
ost affected by the proce
ess of
inner-citty renewal and
a resettle
ement includ
de the econ
nomically dissadvantaged
d, single, fe
emale-
headed households
s.

Marital Status
S of the household he
eads

Figure 4‐34: Mariital Status

Souurce: own Com
mputation

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hold size
Househ
The hou
usehold size in a unit is found
f to be 54% of the residing
r hou
useholds werre between 2 and
7 where
e as about 29
9% were one
e or four peo
ople live in a house.

Househ
hold compo
osition
Living with
w extende
ed family is not
n new in this
t country.. The surveyy shows, the
e majority of
o 40%
couples live with the
eir children and
a other ad
dults, where as 31% of th
he single ho
ouseholds livve with
their children and other
o membe e residents sub-let (as a ‘debal’) sharing
ers. In addittion to these
ngle room forr a single da
their sin ay, a month or
o for indefin
nite time.

sition of hous
Compos seholds intervviewed

single household head

27%
40% Femalehouseehold head witth
children and other adults
31% Couple
2%
couples with children and
other adults

Figure 4‐35: Compossition of house holds

Sourcee: own Computtation

Occupa
ancy (tenancy)
When it comes to te
enancy peop
ple consider much aboutt

Theiir location, le o dwelling, cost and de

evel of serviices, types of evelopment etc.
e but with
hin this
it is the totality of
o living con
nditions and the people’ss values and
d needs tha
at are most crucial
c
er than eac
rathe ch of these separate
s asspects. It is difficult to define
d overccrowding be
ecause
wha
at constitutes overcrowd
ding in som
me circumsttances mayy be accepttable and without
w
dang
ger in otherr circumstancces in which
h more hygiienic conditiions prevail. Thus, discu
ussion
on minimum
m spa
ace standard
d such as flo
oor area or plot
p size cou
uld more effe
ectively bein
ng with
the practical
p knowledge of what is takiing place an
nd what is acceptable
a to
o the people
e who
actu
ually live in th
he space, ra
ather than on
n theoretical consideratio
ons (Ashena
afi G., 2001)

Analysiss of the ca
ase study in terms of occupancyy shows tha
at the majo
ority, 52% of
o the
olds interviewed, live in a single roo
househo om accommo
odation follo
owed by two rooms, 44%
%, and
those th
hree and abo
ove rooms co
onstitute abo
out only 2%.

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Compossition of hous
seholds occu
upancy by nu
umber of room
ms

2%2%

one
two
44% 52
2% threee
fourr

Figure 4‐36:
4 Householld occupancy
Source: own Computa ation

Use of housing
h un
nits
The majjority of the dwellings are used onlyy for residen
ntial purpose
es. The perccentage for this is
92%. A small amount of the sam
me househo
old 8% used their dwellin
ngs as living and use forr small
business activities. But the nu
umber using the housess as a resid
dence might be exagge
erated
because
e as it is obs
served, peop
ple might no etting their rooms for co
ot consider le ommercial usses as
a mixed use purpos
se.
Use of households units
u

gure 4‐37: hou

Fig using units
So
ource: own Commputation

Length of stay in the neighbo

ourhood
eat majority, 71% of the household heads
The gre h intervviewed had either
e spent all of their liives in
the area
a or had be
een living there for morre than 20 years,
y which
h seems to suggest a strong
s
attachm
ment to the lo
ocality. Besid
des, if we lo
ook at the an
nalysis of the
e data on the
e length of stay
s in
the indivvidual housing units, it would seem
m to supporrt the assum
mption that many low-in
ncome
families, having on
nce occupie
ed the kebe
ele housing
g, continue to live in rented
r or shared
s
modation for prolonged periods.
accomm p

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Composiition of house
eholds interv
viewed

Figure 4‐38:
4 householld interviews
Source: own Computa ation

Educatiional Attain
nment
he table below, one ca
From th an understa
and that alm
most 58% of
o the household heads had
obtained
d education at the seco
ondary level and 13% of them rea
ach above grade
g 12 wh
hereas
29% eith
her are illiterrate or have attended up
p to primary school.

Rate of literacy
l amon
ngst the houssehold heads

70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
None/no Primaryschooll Secondary above grade
formal school 12
education

Figure 4‐3
39: literacy
Source: own
o Computatiion

Interestiingly there is an indica

ation of a lo
ower rate off illiterate pe
eople among
g the intervviewed
househo
old heads. In terms of level
l of edu
ucation, there
e is some variance
v bettween femalle and
male ho
ousehold he
eads. 19% of househo
old heads with
w no formal education were fe
emale.
Moreove
er, the drop--out rate of females
f from
m primary school is around 15%.

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Distributtion of house
ehold heads by
b level of education and
d sex

35
30
25
20 Male
15
10
5 Female
0
no formal priimary secon
ndary abovee
ducation
ed scchool scho
ool grade 12
1

Figuree 4‐40: househ

hold heads by level
l of educattion and sex
Sourcee: own Compu utation

Employ
yment Statu
us
From th
he sample households interviewed during
d this study,
s 73% portions are
e employed while.
23% are
e unemploye
ed and 4% are
a have retirred.

Employm
ment status, household heads

80%
70%
60% Figu
ure 4‐41: emplo
oyment statuss
50% Sourrce: own Compputation
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Employed Unemployed Retired

Occupa
ational type
With resspect to the distribution of the emplo
oyed househ
hold heads in
i terms of occupation
o type in
the case
e study area
a, 77% were
e found to be
b self-emplo
oyed while 21%
2 are em
mployees of others
o
and onlyy 2% of the household
h h
heads of the units questioned are em
mployed by the
t governm
ment.

Distributiion of househ
hold heads byy employmen
nt type

2%
goveernment
21% Figure 4‐42:
4 employm
ment status
self employed Source:: own Computa
ation
77%

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In the inner-city case, one can

c observe
e that inform
mal businesss activitiess that are mostly
m
conductted in the po
oorer parts of the city are
e predomina e self-employment
antly charactterized in the
categoryy. About 35%
% of self wo
omen emplo
oyed residen
nts’ jobs are washing clo
othes (laund
dry) on
the loca
al streets or in any available open spaces, about 18% se
elling traditio
onal coffee on
o the
streets, 20% dome
estic workerrs. The restt are 27% have differe
ent small activities
a wh
hich Is
e in the area
available a.

Modes of transporrt used

54% of the respond
dents walk to
t get to the ems to implyy that many of the
eir work placce. This see
respond
dents in the inner-city were
w either working
w at th o adjacent to their residents,
heir homes or
with no fixed place of employm hin walking distance. An
ment or theiir work placce were with nother
46% use other mea
ans of transport. Generrally, the work place of most of the residents can
c be
said to be
b in the pro
oximity of the
e study area
a since the majority
m of the residents are self emp
ployed
engaged
d in petty bu
usinesses in and around the neighbo
ourhood.

Modes of
o transport to
t work place

60%
50%
40%
30% Figu
ure 4‐43: modee of transport to work place
20% Souurce: own Compputation
10%
0%
walk City bu
us Mini bus

Househ
hold Income
e
It was very
v difficultt to estimate
e the real amount of ho
ousehold inccome in the
e study area
a. The
reason for
f this was firstly, that in some case
es, responde
ents were unwilling to re
eveal their in
ncome
and seccondly, some
e of the households derrive their income informa
ally from the
eir remittance
e. It is
found out that 6% of
o the house
eholds surve
eyed have incomes of less
l than 50
00 birr per month.
m
Those who
w earned between 50
00 and 1500
0 birr accoun
nt for 59% of
o the households. Abou
ut 36%
said the
ey earn betw
ween 1500 an
nd 3000 birr per month.

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n Redevelopm
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A

Distributiion of househ
hold by month
hly income

50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1 ‐ 1000
below 500 501 01 ‐
100 1501 ‐ above
150
00 3000 3000

Fig
gure 4‐44: mon
nthly income
So
ource: own Commputation

4.2.5 R
Relocation

Willingn
ness to mov
ve
The issu
ue of relocattion has beccome quite common
c in recent
r yearss. 60% woulld like to sta
ay with
improve
ement to the area. The remaining,
r a
about 40%, not
n only havve shown the
eir desire to move
but also
o expressed their dissatissfaction with
h all aspects of life in the
e inner-city.

Overall satisfaction
s and
a desire to
o move

40%
%
Like to move
m
60% Dislike to
o move

Figure 4‐‐45: desire to move

m
Source: own
o Computattion

ness to be relocated
Willingn r to
o other area
as as a resu
ult of redeve
elopment
As the above
a figure
e shows the majority of the
t responde at they would prefer to stay
ents said tha s in
the sam
me locality prrovided that the neighbo
ourhood is going
g to be upgraded with
w better ho
ousing
facilitiess and wider roads and because of the close social
s ties and good pro
oximity to market;
m
schools and health
h facilities. On the other hand, if the prese
ent conditio
ons of popu
ulation
congesttion poor ho
ousing and facilities remain the sa
ame, they would
w prefer to be relo
ocated
elsewhe
ere where housing faccilities are better such
h as accom
mmodation in condomin
niums.
er, the main concern about bein
Howeve ng relocated
d is that people
p living
g in the current
c
neighbo
ourhood can
nnot afford to pay for the condom
miniums and
d would, th
herefore, losse out
eventua
ally and be forced to live again in
n slum area
as. Some of
o the respo
ondents gavve the
example
e of the people relocated from ‘Bash
ha Wolde Chilot’ near Arat
A Kilo who
o are now livving in

74
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

‘Serategna sefer’ by renting houses because they were not able to afford the down-payment for
the condominium houses. A few of the respondents said that they have no choice but to move
to other places if the government decides to relocate them for redevelopment purpose.

Opportunity and Threats

Some of the respondents participated in the focus-group discussion said that moving to other
areas as a result of re-development of the locality may be viewed as an opportunity in terms of
having adequate housing facilities and possibly the creation of new jobs in the new area.
However, most of the respondents view the plan for redevelopment of their locality as a problem
or a threat since their current location provides them with jobs for instance working as a daily
labourer, access to affordable markets opportunities and a sense of identity.

Views of the community on the locality /neighbourhood

All of the respondents mentioned that what they like of their locality/ neighbourhood is the social
bond that exists in the community living in the area, proximity to work, suppliers, markets and
friends, and services such as schools, medical care, churches, and mosques and traditional
shops “gulit”. Social support system like ‘Ikub’ and ‘Idir’ contribute to sustaining the livelihood of
the community. People support each other in times when some people face problems or in need
of support. For example, if neighbours may want to go to the market or some other place, they
leave their children to one of their neighbours without having to worry. Moreover, some
respondents have pointed out that living adjacent to the well-known Piazza area and ‘Serategna
sefer” gives them a sense of historic identity and place. The area is also conveniently located
and people have easy access to affordable market areas such as the ‘Atikilt Tera’ (fruit and
vegetable market) and ‘Merkato’ (the well known open market place). The area is also close to
schools for the children and there are different kinds of job opportunities for the low income
residents. Most of the residents feel that if they are relocated to the peripheries of Addis Ababa
as a result of redevelopment, they will lose all their social ties and easy access to affordable
markets, job opportunities and health facilities thus increasing the cost of their livelihood. On the
other hand, most of the respondents have also said that the social ties existing with the
community is gradually becoming threatened due to the increased use of ‘chat’ and ‘Shisha’ by
the youth and the rise in prostitution. It has also been mentioned that the increased deterioration
of the houses; increased congestion, lack of sanitary facilities; rise in burglary as well as
increased joblessness has made the neighbourhood difficult to live in. Residents who have lived
there for long time blame the new comers for the deterioration of their neighbourhood is

75
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because
e of new co
omers in se
earch of she
elter and job
b from other areas spe
ecially form urban
renewal areas for ex
xample “bassha wolde ch
hilot’.

What re s like and dislike most about theirr neighbourhood

espondents
Most lik
ked about the neighbo
ourhoods: In
n response to ey like most about
t the questtion what the
their ne
eighbourhoo
od 65% of the intervviewees app
preciate the
e general character of
o the
neighbo
ourhood. 8%
% of the resp
pondents sa
ay proximity to social an
nd infrastruccture service
es and
23% con
nsider acqua
aintance to the
t area as convenient.
c

What resspondents mo
ost like abou
ut their neighb
borhood

70% 65%
60%
50%
40%
30% 23%
20%
8%
%
10% 4%
0%
General proxim
mity to acquaintance none
neighbourhoood woork with the area
character
Figure 4‐4
46: responden
nts most like ab
bout their neig
ghbourhood
Source: own
o Computattion

Least liked
l about the neig
ghbourhood
d: Among those
t who are not ha
appy aboutt their
neighbo
ourhood, the
e majority off 58% is because of po
oor infrastructure, lack of
o public se
ervices
and poo
or sanitation and 27% sa
ay that theirr houses are
e in poor con
ndition. The rest 4% and
d 10%
of the re
espondents feel
f that theyy don’t feel secure
s and there
t is less job opportu
unity in the area.
What resspondents lea
ast like aboutt their neighbourhood

70
0%
58
8%
60
0%
50
0%
40
0%
27%
30
0%
20
0%
10%
10
0% 4%
%
0
0%
poor infraastructure poor housing personal security less job opportuniity
servicces and condition problem
sanittation
Figure 4‐47:
4 what resspondent s leasst like their neeighbourhood
Source:: own Computa ation

76
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Discussion with Students in Grade 5 Grade 5 students from “Yekatit 66

School” were asked to sketch how
they perceive their neighbourhood.
The children said that the school is
not accessible and they don’t feel
safe, They don’t feel safe because on
hand the high traffic flow on the street
and the location of the school itself on
School Location
the other had the specially the girls
Ketchene R. are harassed by the young boys. The
students feel that their living
environment is not good at all in
Yekatit 66
School
terms of dirt and smells of streets,
crowded living condition, dirty toilets,
and lack infrastructure. They don’t
feel safe because on hand the high
traffic flow on the street and the
Sketches showing how kids perceive their location of the school itself.

Figure 4‐48: discussion with students, location of the school and student’s sketches

77
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Residen
nts’ vision for
f improve
ement of the
e area
Some of
o the respon
ndents said that they wo
ould like to see the ‘kitiya’ houses blocking the
e local
streets and
a occupying the open
n spaces be demolished
d and the roa
ads widened
d so that the
ere will
e and public spaces as well as ade
be sufficcient private equate accesss for fire- fighters
f in ca
ase of
damage ghbourhood by fire which has been a recurrin
e to the neig ng problem in the area. They
would also like to se
ee their housses upgrade
ed and adequate sanitarry/waste disp
posal and co
ooking
facilitiess be put in pllace. They are
a ready to contribute in
n cash (those
e who can afford
a to conttribute
money) and labourr to upgrade
e the area. Some of th
he responde
ents said th
hat instead of the
current buildings, th
hey would likke to see afffordable low--cost commu
unity housess with streett liners
mixed with
w apartme
ents for those
e who can afford
a them, with
w the exissting housess upgraded for
f the
local ne
eighbourhood
d without dissplacing them
m so that the area will keep
k its original characte
er. On
the othe
er hand, som
me respondents had reservations with
w this kind of proposal saying th
hat the
ment cannot afford to acccommodate
governm e the populattion residing in the area and there may
m be
a need to
t relocate some
s section
n of the popu
ulation to oth
her areas.

Willingn
ness to imp
prove their living
l enviro
onment
The resspondents were
w asked improvemen
nt priorities of
o their envirronment. Im
mprovement of the
water co
onnection, access
a roadss and genera
al improvem
ment of environmental qu
uality seemss to be
their firsst priority, with
w about 48 espondents ranking it as
8% of the re a their firstt priority, wh
hereas
44% of the
t respondents view acccess to infrastructure as
a their first priority
p and the
t rest 21%
% open
space iss their prioritty.

View re aintenance of the neigh

egarding ma hbourhood as a historrical/heritag
ge area

Some of
o the respon
ndents menttioned that th
here are ma
any buildingss in the area
a that deserrves to
be preserved and that the who
ole neighbou
urhood is hisstorically sig
gnificant to attract
a visitorrs and
e provided th
tourists in the future hat the deterriorating buildings are well
w maintained and upgrraded.
They mentioned sig
gnificant buiildings such
h as Monsieur Minas’s building and
d some thatt have
emolished because
been de b of the
t construcction of condominium houses.
h One
e responden
nt said
that the
e area sho
ould be de
emolished and
a be rep
placed by better build
ding through the
redevelo
opment plan
n.
Views off respondents
s about mainttaining their neighbourhoo
n od

25% ke
eep the historicc
bu
uildings with so
ome Figu
ure 4‐49: repaiiring their Neig
ghbourhood
im
mprovement Souurce: Own Commputation
Noo need to keepp them
75% replacing with new
bildings

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Participation of the community in the local development plan

Some respondents mentioned that they have not participated during the redevelopment plan for
the area but were informed by the kebele authorities that there will be redevelopment of the
area. They also said that they were informed that for those who can afford to pay for
condominium housing, such housing will be provided to them while or for those who cannot
afford the payment, they will be provided with kebele houses wherever available.

4.3 Summary of Findings

4.3.1 Spatial use (existing land use)
About 50.7% land use of the site is mainly residential in the in-fill where the 8.9% street liners
are dominated by mix of uses occupied by cafés, offices and retailer stores. 28.6% of open
spaces and pedestrian streets in the infill area used for social interaction and income
generating. Such spaces are very valuable for the residents as small traditional market or “gulit”,
for meeting, cooking, playing, washing and drying cloths. Unfortunately, the majority of the
pedestrian streets which are supposed to serve as a connector are blocked by houses built
informally. Steps used to be one of short cuts for the residents living on very sloppy areas which
exceed to 15% are either blocked or demolished in order to build new structures.

The study area is characterized by historic buildings with architectural significance and single
story residential houses including ‘kitiya’ houses. The respondents were asked whether they
expanded their houses but 77% of them say there is no expansion and 13% say that they built
extension rooms for seeking either for extra space or for additional income.

Unfortunately, the historic building structures in the case study area are in a very critically
dilapidated condition due to lack of maintenance, incompatible functional usage where most of
the buildings are not functioning for the original purposes they were meant to serve. In addition
to this, the number of families currently living in the houses are larger compared to what it was
originally intended to accommodate. Lack of proper knowledge towards the historic elements of
such buildings by the current user themselves, there has been a significant change in their
physical appearances by way of adding partition walls, changing wooden windows and doors to
glazing materials as well as closing the balconies in order to get additional rooms for income
generating purposes in some cases mud walls (‘chika’) are patched with old iron sheets.

One of the main reasons for the neglect and deterioration of such historic buildings is the lack of
clear tenure or ownership. The historic buildings are owned either by the housing agency or the
kebele and, in some cases, they are partly kebele and partly private. This has created ambiguity

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

as to who is responsible for rehabilitating the historic buildings. Surprisingly, the Addis Ababa
Tourism and Culture Bureau, which is the main office and also has a branch office in the
respective sub cities, should be responsible at least for the selected historic buildings and for
the heritage sites and structures by the office itself, seems to be vigorous as to the extent of its
responsibility as well as to its capacity in the protection and rehabilitation of these structures.
Furthermore, during the course of the survey made for this study, the residents were asked
about their opinion whether the area should retain its historic identity. 75 percent of the
respondents say the area should keep its historic identity by rehabilitating the dilapidated
structures since they are of the view that there are many buildings in and around the area that
deserves to be restored and that the whole neighbourhood is historically significant to attract
visitors and tourists in the future provided that the deteriorating buildings are well maintained
and upgraded. They mentioned significant buildings such as Monsieur Minas’s K. building but
also intimated that some of the historic buildings in the case study area have already been
demolished due to the construction of condominium houses. On the other hand, a quarter of the
respondents say no need to keep them and they prefer to replace with new buildings.

The extensions (“kitiya”) houses reveal the logic of informal construction and building typologies.
The materials used for those structures mostly are old corrugated iron sheets and rubbles from
renewal sites. These typologies of houses are changing the height in unregulated manner and
expanding horizontally thereby blocking the local roads. Most one-storey, single-family houses
have been transformed into two-storey, multi-family households. The diversity of adaptations to
the built environment seems endless.

4.3.2 Resident’s Economic Activity

The area is dominated by low-income dwellers and most of the household heads interviewed
are self-employed providing small services to the community in and around the neighbourhood.
The majority, about 35%, live by washing clothes for others while 20% of the residents do
domestic jobs in someone’s residence. About 18% gain their daily bread by serving “tea and
coffee” on the streets and some work as brokers while the rest get their income by letting their
single houses. Remittance from their children in foreign countries is also a source of income for
some of the residents in the study area and some get their money by being prostitutes. It is
recognized that the majority of active participants working in the above mentioned jobs are
women. It can generally be said that much of the daily subsistence of many households in the
area is provided by women active in different businesses in the study area. In addition to this, a
recent source of income in the neighbourhood is the emergence of small and medium scale

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

services (SMEs) with seed money provided by the kebele, such as cafes, wood work and
construction work which has created a good job opportunity for residents, especially for the
youth.

4.3.3 Social Ties among the Residents and the Use of Functional Spaces
The social ties among the residents are still very significant even though the means for
socializing spaces like courtyards, balconies and small open spaces are disappearing due to
informal construction. The well known “idir” and “ikub” throughout the country are also the
means for residents to fulfil their social and economic obligations. However, the public spaces
which the residents use for the purpose of gathering in times of funerals and festivals or when
they need to discuss about neighbourhood issues is also disappearing. As a result, the
residents are currently forced to use the local street for such occasions.

Residents have also easy access to schools, local markets and health facilities in close
proximity to where they live. However, the location of the junior high school, which is hidden
from public view, has created a negative impact especially for the female students who are
vulnerable to sexual abuse by male students and residents in the vicinity. Moreover, the social
sustainability of the site is impeded by the absence of amenities including recreation areas,
community centres, day-care, libraries, play ground, open spaces like courtyards and ease of
pedestrian movement.

4.3.4 Environmental Situation

Most of the households who live in the same compound have common toilet, kitchen and water
tap facilities while a few have their own private kitchen and toilets (in most cases pit latrine).
There are also some households who do not have toilet facilities at all and use ditches and open
spaces for sanitation purposes. In some cases, the NGO, CCF, has supported the households
in the construction of the service facilities including mud roads covered with cobble stone before
terminating its activities. The respondents also pointed out that the kebele sometimes maintains
the common facilities but not the houses.
There are no solid waste disposal facilities in the area which is a major problem. Some of the
respondents stated that they throw their garbage in the nearby river or ditches which has led to
a very bad odour in the area and resulted in unsanitary conditions.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

5 Conclusion
Integrating historic heritage neighbourhood in the redevelopment process is crucial to the
maintenance of the physical, socio-economic values and environmental issues. By analyzing
the tangible and intangible context of the historic neighbourhood of “Serategna Sefer” this study
attempts to come up with some concluding remarks: approaches towards the rehabilitation of
historic buildings; upgrading of infrastructure, incremental housing development, socio-
economic renewal and participatory and decision making of the inhabitants as well as engaging
municipal agencies and the private sectors.

The processes of deterioration in the tangible and intangible historic site of “serategna sefer” are
the result of a multitude of physical, economic and social factors. As mentioned in the analysis
of the existing situation of the study area the findings show that informal construction of houses
“ketiya houses” resulting overcrowding of structures, misuse of public spaces, and deteriorating
infrastructures. The issue of tenure is also the main causes for the area, to be physically and
economically deteriorated, and decline in architectural value and quality of urban spaces as
well. Therefore, the paper envisaged that the recovery of the functions in the historic
neighbourhood should not only be transforming the trend of the decay processes, but also
should become profit-seeking social and economic activity.

Heritage rehabilitation strategies aim at sustaining the essential qualities of the physical
structure of the historic heritage buildings which support contemporary life style requirements
along with the life style in the inner-city neighbourhood of “Serategna sefer”. These strategies
adapt the physical structures such as building height, facade treatments and maintaining quality
of space for everyday life of the people such as courtyards, balconies, and pedestrian friendly
streets.
Furthermore, the rehabilitation strategies consider the socio/economic environment that address
the needs of the inhabitants by making the selected historic buildings income generating, by
creating places for tourist attraction in order to reducing poverty, increasing employment,
upgrading local communal services. To be able to achieve all, it will be necessary to enable the
local inhabitants participate in the planning and management of their environment. A bottom up
approach involving all stakeholders in the process for integrated heritage rehabilitation
development, cultural sustainability and upgrading of the basic urban pattern and morphology of
the urban fabric and the use of space is very essential.

The problem of utility services and infrastructure in the study area is very serious problem in
terms of sanitation and connectivity. Utility services like water supply, kitchen, toilet and waste

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

disposal in the study site are used communally and the problem of managing the services in
proper way and maintenance become inefficient. Infrastructure on the other hand in the study
area where the majority of existing winding local roads and steps which are very important since
the topography is sloppy were blocked with those informally built “kitiya” houses creating
problems of connectivity. Upgrading of utility services, infrastructures needs the support from
NGO’s, municipal agencies and the inhabitant’s participation.

The approach to integrate dilapidated housing stock in spontaneously grown, overcrowded,

physically and economically deteriorating inner-city neighbourhood of Addis Ababa is a major
task particularly for satisfying the desire of housing for low-income groups without relocating the
inhabitants and making the place economically viable.
The incremental housing development approach is a concept that enables low income
households build their own home and the process of upgrading the deteriorated built structure is
a key mechanism for increasing affordable housing stock, particularly for low-income groups,
because it allows the household to start with a 'core' dwelling which it can enlarge or improve as
its resources increase and its size grows. Households usually start with a few rooms which are
a working area for income generating so as to pay for further development, a kitchen and a
toilet, that can accommodate them when they move into their new home. Gradually, when they
accumulate extra resources, they can add more rooms to suit any expansion in their family size.
In the process for constructing incremental housing development the preferred option is in-situ
upgrading.
In due course, ensuring land tenure of the inhabitants, providing basic infrastructure services
with the help of municipal agencies and also providing access to finance by creating
cooperatives, housing banking system, using the existing traditional financial institutions such as
“Ikub”, “idir” and “Maheber” for income generation via forming and interacting community groups
are very essential in the upgrading process.

The efficiency of this physical-urban intervention strengthened with the associated

implementation and maintenance of economic and social integration by exploiting the study site
opportunities such as strategic location, local market demand, integration with regional cluster
and human resources. The Inner city heritage neighbourhood businesses can only be profitable
if it is positioned not only to serve the local community but also by creating economic linkage to
the surrounding economy.

In the socio-economic renewal of the site the major components that the proposal considered
are the local market demand and the quality of the market and its size even though the average

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

inhabitants live in the site are relatively low-income, high population density translates into an
immense market with substantial purchase power as long as services adapt to the needs of the
inner city customers. Creating mixed use character in the incremental development,
opportunities for small scale enterprises (SME’s), spaces for economic interaction like “gulit”
traditional small open market, giving the workforces low-skill jobs is realistic and economically
reliable for many inhabitants who otherwise would be unemployed. Over time, a sustainable
economic base can be created in the inner-city with successful job creation that will trigger a
self-reinforcing process which raises skill.

In order to obtain positive impact on upgrading of historic neighbourhood areas through

participation and good governance it is crucial to be active on the local level; mobilizing local
stakeholders and implementing participatory measures and providing institutional and policy
reforms that enables participatory upgrading processes on the regional and local level.
The important concluding note is that the mechanisms used in the study area; which are the
objectives, principles and tools behind the implementation strategies will be useful base for the
development of the participatory upgrading approach and its methods such as promoting self-
help initiatives, engage the activities of community development, workforce development, youth
employment and leadership development, community planning, and organizing.
A participatory approach can only be widely implemented when decentralization is taken into
consideration seriously by all levels of government and by not institutionalising participatory
practices in the structure and functions of local government.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

6 Recommendations
The recommendation emphasizes Integrating heritage neighbourhood in the redevelopment
process which include incremental improvement of the area’s tangible values via rehabilitating
of distressed historic built structures and upgrading of dilapidated housing stocks and
infrastructures, public facilities and socio-economic networks based on the necessary
assessment done previously. Such neglected inner-city neighbourhood’s improvement program
would need to include a great deal of communication work such as: participating the community
in decision making, using their skills, using the natural resources available in the site, safe
tenure, and creating small and medium–sized enterprises (SMEs).

A set of small interventions can influence the process of renewal in positive ways to heal urban
blight and improve the cityscape. The result is a collective city, formed in collaboration of the
government, the inhabitants and entrepreneurs.

Intervention Approaches
The intervention approaches are based on the concept of integrating redevelopment/renewal in
the historic inner-city fabric. The target of the intervention is to regenerate the genuine character
of the site as a whole which comprise the physical, economic and socio-cultural development.
Urban regeneration and upgrading is one of the important approaches mainly because of the
economic, cultural, technological, and physical benefits it capitalizes. In this context,
“regeneration approach” refers to reinvestment in the social, economic growth, cultural and
physical infrastructure in seeking the progress and growth of the historic neighbourhood of
‘Serategna Sefer’.

With this in mind, the following set of general recommendations is presented as the most
promising lines of action for the overall improvement of the neighbourhood and the quality of life
of its residents.

¾ Rehabilitation / Regeneration
Historic inner-city neighbourhoods are undergoing a radical reconstruction process. Therefore,
integrating the tangible physical recovery of distressed neighbourhoods together with the
intangible social and economic renewal of the values into the modern city life by means of
contemporary approaches is the major concern of this research.
• Rehabilitation of historic building
• Upgrading of the organic streets and dilapidated housing stock.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Rehabilitation of historic buildings: Rehabilitation is recommended for historic houses that

are in deteriorating to poor condition. A case by case re-use of selected historic buildings from
their current uses to a new set of economic activities for long-term rehabilitation and
regeneration of the whole historic site is recommended based on a thorough understanding of
the place’s resources and values. For instance, streetscape improvements can enhance historic
aspects of the built environment, business opportunities of street vendors, the uses of crafting,
arts and culture, housing, and other appropriate commercial development mixes as a step by
step regeneration approach in the historic building as well as the historic site are also part of the
recommendations.
Upgrading of the organic streets and dilapidated housing stock: The streets in study area
have diverse functions such as meeting, working and playing places as there is a scarce of
public open space in the inner city core area. So, it is recommended that the street upgrading
interventions must consider the significance roles of the existing street pattern and their different
functions mentioned in the analysis part.
The streets need to be flexible, connected and enhance pedestrian walkways to satisfy all
needs and provide temporary structures and permanent ones as a large amount of different
groups operate on the streets at different times of the day and night . During daytime, when
traffic is low, some places can be used as playgrounds or hangouts for residents, by providing
shade and benches. In evening, when the streets are more crowded ,which is the exact
situation of ‘serategna sefer’, this space might be used for activities such as dwelling, vending,
shopping, social interactions, eating, parking and playing. Furthermore some places like ‘road
junctions’ should use as central public places where people gather for exchanging information,
meetings and other events.

¾ Spaces for social cohesion and economic viability

In order for this neighbourhood intervention scheme to be effective, solutions must be

developed that provide housing and commercial spaces for local residents. Many local residents
have lived in the neighbourhood for several years, and despite the fact that their living
conditions are poor, their livelihood and social ties are closely linked to the area; they prefer to
remain instead of moving elsewhere. The provision of new housing with basic amenities would
encourage the younger generation as well as the more affluent individuals to stay in the area
rather than seek alternate housing elsewhere. Also important is the nature of the commercial
activities taking place in the area. Since a large percentage of the inhabitants are involved in

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

washing clothes and traditional markets ‘gulit’ proposed building schemes must provide ample
space for working spaces on the ground floor.

Creating mix of uses and activities: Future housing schemes should have a mixed-use
combination (with commercial activities on the ground floor and with housing above). Human
scale building heights to enhance the character of the study area and most of all buildings with
mix of uses; open spaces like courtyards are also the major elements for the residents to be
self-sufficient.

Self-build incremental housing development: A housing scheme which allow the

neighbourhoods to improve their locality gradually without uprooting communities. Adequate
housing and secure tenure are two pre conditions for maintaining a stable population in the
historic neighbourhood intervention scheme to be effective. Therefore, providing different
housing typologies are important to tackle the housing problem.

Creating Comfortable, Vibrant, safe and Walk-able Places: In the data analysis it is obtained
that the study area gains the advantage of centrality, close-proximity of everything to
everywhere, unmet local demand and human resources. On the other hand the area is
characterized as a slum because of neglect and decay of housing stocks, economic
disinvestment and inefficient use of urban land.

Therefore a sustainable economic base in the historic neighbourhood can be created.

• Firstly, by integrating the inner-city neighbourhood to the rest of the city rather than treating
the inner city neighbourhood as separate, independent economies. This will be achieved by
making the historic buildings very active in the form of galleries, public libraries (already
small portion of ‘Minas building is used as a mini library’ organised by the ‘kebele’,) craft’s
shops in order to make the place to be visited by tourists as well as by local people.
• Secondly, by implementing the traditional financial mechanisms such as ‘ikub’, ‘idir’,
‘maheber’ and micro-finance institutions, that currently exist in the study area which will be a
great support for the residents in the time of building their houses.
• Thirdly, in order for these intervention actions to work, however, the community needs to be
a more active component of the decision-making process, using already established system
which is one elder person or a person who is respected from immediate neighbour will make
a team which consists of five people and once in a week discuss about their neighbourhood
and set a solution or forward the problems to the concerned authorities. Therefore this will
give the opportunity to participate during the self-build housing development.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

SWOT Analysis

Inner cities have intrinsic opportunities and strength that are essential for the city as a whole;
they do carry fundamental weaknesses due to the fact that inner cities are at the very first stage
of urbanization. This means that the infrastructure networks are usually at the end of their
lifetime and demand replacement or rehabilitation; the plots are rather small and ownership
tends to be very fragmented which makes it a challenge for land development. This is further
illustrated in the Figure based on Baross (1997) and shown in figure below.

OPPORTUNITIES
Redevelopment/Revitalization: Reuse of buildings/land
City Image: openings for ‘flagship’ projects,
Funding: sensitiveness for resource mobilization, good potential for economic development
Attractiveness: Visual impact once intervention is successful
Interest for cultural identity by investors/private sector
Range of accessibility alternatives

Location: Centre of city core area, delineated historic area, accessibility Strength
Physical Identity: Vibrant character, urban and architectural heritage

+ Economic basis: Traditional retail/business, employment and market access, tourist

potential
Market: Opportunities to restructure derelict land and obsolete buildings
SWOT Analysis
Weakness
Market: Lack of market demand, less attractive for new business
Costs: High costs in infrastructure renewal/modernization
Growth restriction: lack of expansion outlet (only densification), high building density,
degradation of buildings, mismatch b/n old and new, and spontaneous physical change

- Services: Congestion & lack small green areas, insufficient open space, and lack of street
amenities
Land: Inefficient land use, ineffective land use regulations, visually incoherent street
scene, variable building styles and lines, lack of landmarks and focal points within the site
Ownership: Fragmented housing ownership
Finance: disinvestment, lack of financial resources

Suburbanization: trend to peripheral growth and condominium outside city core, less
opportunity for upgrading and more for modernization
Sub-centre development: Creation of new areas of commerce and job opportunity outside
city core
Poverty: continuous downgrading of residents, letting the area to deteriorate
Policies of growth: urban policies geared to areas outside city core, land values become high
Land use: predominantly derelict residential buildings where informal structures blocked the
open spaces and the local streets as a result a messy mix in the in-fill.
Circulation: collecting roads become high traffic, hostile to pedestrians.
THREATS
Figure 6‐1: SWOT
Source: Illustrated based on (Baross, 1978 Cited by Acioly, 1999)
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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

7 Urban Design proposal

The urban design proposal will give solution based on the information gathered, discussion with
stakeholders, the literature reviewed and the examples that show the decline and revival of
inner-city neighbourhoods so that the historic neighbourhood can be integrated without
compromising its unique identity which is characterised by a gradual process of physical/spatial,
economic and social transformation that responds to local needs and priorities. A defined
institutional arrangement should also be organized with the help of community participation,
interested entrepreneurs and concerned government bodies in order to benefit the inhabitants.

Vision
To integrate the redevelopment initiative into the historic neighbourhood settings based
on the revitalization of the physical, socio-economic and institutional values of the
community.

Goals
¾ Making the core area a place where people can live, learn work, and entertain
• Supporting new infill residential development for different income groups as well as
family sizes with a combination of one and two story buildings of mixed use character to
safeguard investment and social fabric.
• Providing easy to access community services and public amenities.

¾ To contribute to the core area’s rich sense of place by:

• Recognizing historic buildings with architectural significance for their value and benefit to
the core area, and encouraging their rehabilitation, upgrading and integration with new
development.
• Support context-sensitive developments that complement the existing core area through
sitting, orientation, massing, height, materials, and landscaping.
• Creating memorable streets and places by linking public amenity spaces, such as open
spaces and pathways throughout the core area.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Intervention Approach

URGING FOR SUSTAINABLE ACTION

• Inefficient services and utilities Intervention aspect
Intervention Approaches
• Deteriorated social conditions PEOPLE
REGEENRATION/REHABILITATION
• Dilapidated building stocks LAND/BUILDINGS
RENEWAL / REDEVELOPMENT
• Depressing economic conditions UTILITIES
UPGRADING/ PRESERVATION
FINANCE/BUSINESSES
AND RESTORATION • Administrative and management
ENTERPRISES
incompetence
Figure 7‐1: Facets of urban decay in the inner city‐
Source: Illustrated based on (Baross, 1978 cited by Acioly, 1999)

Potentials and Constraints

Figure 7‐2: Potentials and Constraint map

Source: Own Computation, 2013 90
Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

7.1 Urban Design Concept Development

The design concept is derived from the potential and constraints of the study area mentioned
above in order to revitalize the inner-city historic neighbourhood and to increase engagement of
inhabitants with their environment.

Context
Regeneration

Extension
Incremental Defined Institutional
Growth Arrangement

Socio-Economic
Viability
Figure 7‐3: Concept development
Source: Own Computation, inspired by the “kItIya” houses in the site, 2013

Context Regeneration Institutional Arrangement

A physical recovery of distressed A well defined institutional arrangement in
neighbourhoods goes with social and economic place and which gives technical, political and
renewal aiming at their integration into the urban management autonomy to a locally-based
economy public-private organization capable to steer
the process
Socio-economic Viability
A regeneration process having a financial bases
of support which does not rely only on public Figure 7‐4: Institutional and urban management
budget allocation but also on the contribution Instruments for inner city revitalization,
from key private and community stakeholders Source: C. Acioly 1999
91
In
ntegrating Inne
er-City Historric Neighbourh
hood in Urban
n Redevelopm
ment Program
ms of Addis Ababa
A

7.2 Urban Desig

gn Principlles and To
ools
The urban design principles willl be a guide for the physsical, social recovery
r and
d the econom
mic
reinvesttment of the historic inne
er-city neighbourhood.

Principles & Desiign Guidelin

nes To
ools
5.2.1 Context Regeneration
n

Enrich
hing the Histtoric Built Strructures ƒ Re
ehabilitation
n f
for
• Physical Recovery
R o Distresse
of ed disstressed build
dings
Built Structtures ƒ Urrban acup
puncture f
for
en
nhancing the non-
pe
erforming builldings

5.2.2 onomic Viability

Socio-Eco
Street Upgrading Interventionss ƒ Hierarchy off streets –
• nnections
Making con arrow pede
na estrian street
• Increasing permeability ne
etwork and allleys
o blic & Private
pub e ƒ Stteps – short-cuts

Space
es for Social Cohesion and ƒ Mixed use
u Buildingss
Econo
omic Viabilitty ƒ Mixed typologies – me
incom
• creating miix of uses an
nd activities generatting
• making co
omfortable walk though
h, ƒ Hierarch
hy of spaces -
sit, stand, play, talk, read, or jusst courtyarrds, road ns,
junction
relax and contemplate
c doorstep
ps, edges and
a tradition
nal
• Vibrant – interactive
e places fo
or markets ‘gulit’
people to meet
m ƒ ape Amenitie
Landsca es
• Safe &walk-able – ‘an
ny time activve ƒ Walk-ab
ble
hood ‘
neighbourh ƒ Increme ental develo
opment; se
elf-
build, in--situ
• Housing fo
or low-income

5.2.3 Institutional Arrangem

ment

• Public-priva
ate partnersh
hip ƒ Community Financial and sociial
institutess
Figure 7‐5: Urban Deesign Principless
Source:: Illustrated ba
ased on the concept of “crea
ating Spaces fo
or people”, Caiirns Esplanadee Redevelopmeent
winnerr of the 2003, Australian
A awa ard for urban design
d

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

7.3 Design Proposal

Context Regeneration

Recently in September 2013 a photo exhibition was shown in Alliance Ethio-française with a title
“Neglected Heritage Architecture of the first 50 years of the capital of Africa” by Fasil Giorghs
and Helawie Sewenet. A quite number of historic buildings and historic sites were presented
and street and building restoration proposals were also exhibited. Among the restoration
proposals one of the prominent buildings presented in the exhibition was “Monsieur Minas
Kerbekean residential building” which exists in the study area. The restoration for the particular
building was proposed by EiABC 5th Year Architecture students (Etsegenet, Wossen, Bayenew,
Tsion & Lydia) with the theme of changing the residential building to community centre, public
spaces and making street connections.

Selected Buildings
With Architectural significance

Figure 7-6: Enriching the historic built up structures

Source: EiABC 5th Year Architecture students

93
In
ntegrating Inne
er-City Historric Neighbourh
hood in Urban
n Redevelopm
ment Program
ms of Addis Ababa
A

The spa
ace at the ju
unction is de
efined by bu
uildings and footways lo
ocally known
n as ‘Adebabay’ a
square. It is a place where the residents
r of the study arrea meet and
d socialize.

S
Street junctio
on spaces

Stre
eet frontage upgrading

Figure: Street Junctio

ons and frontage
Source:: Author, 20133
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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

I
II

III

Figure 7‐8: Proposed Road Network

Source: Own Computation, 2013

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Socio-Economic Viability

Street Upgrading Interventions

“A good street is one that allows people to be in contact with each other but
simultaneously gives the option for individuals to remain private and respect the privacy
of others.” (Gehl, J.2006). People who reside in a slum and act within the neighbourhood
often fell a powerful attachment to their local street. The street is a fine balance of
essential privacy and varying degrees of public and private contact. (Jacobs. 1961)

Hierarchy of streets: The different sizes of widths of streets taken are, 20m Arterial Street
(AS), 12m sub-Arterial street (SAS), 8m Collector Street and 4m & 3m Local Street (LS1) and
(LS2) consecutively and Steps are considered as a short cut that responds to the topography of
the area.

Increasing Permeability: These street sections illustrate the indicative width of footpaths
carriageways, streets building heights, and public-private interface. The streets accommodate
different uses although pedestrians constitute the majority of the flow in the study areas.
Pedestrians are prioritized in the layout as their accessibility is the key for a sustainable, lively
street. Pavements on both sides of the streets facilitate the pedestrian flow and create
hierarchies between pedestrian and motor traffic

Maximum Maximum
Height 18m Height 18m

Figure 7‐9: Section – I on the Main Road

Source: Own Computation, 2013

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Legibility: massing and enclosure of public space

Maximum Maximum
Height 15m Height 15m

II

Figure 7‐10: Section – II on the Collector Road

Source: Own Computation, 2013
Robustness: Open spaces like courtyards and pedestrian walk-ways are provided to improve
local communities living environment that increases their satisfaction and sense of belonging
and raise social interaction Connecting the Disconnected: the number of steps depends on the
slope

III

Figure 7‐11: Section – III on the Steep ground / Collector Road

Source: Own Computation, 2013
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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Spaces for social cohesion and economic viability

The basic concept for land use proposal has been developed from the assessments of the
historic development of the study site.
Existing Morphology Proposed Morphology

Proposed Land-use
Proposed Green scheme and courtyard

Figure 7‐12: Morphology, Land use & Green space

Source: Own Computation, 2013

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Urban Structural Elements for public and private spaces

Green
Historic Schemes
Land use
Buildings

Morpholog

Movement

Figure 7‐13: Layer Map & Land‐use Percentage Distribution

Source: Own Computation, 2013

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Site cross section

D
A

A B
E

C
C D

Historic Buildings

Section A - A

Condominium Mixed-use Residential

Section B-B
Basement

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Accessed using steps

Main Road

Section C-C Court yard Walk-ways, & local streets width

varies between 3.5, 3m and 2m

Minas Building

Courtyard

Section D‐D
Canopy trees for shade, social interaction and
traditional market

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

Area ‐ A Area ‐ B

Section E‐E

Area ‐ A

Figure 7‐14: Site Cross sections Area ‐ B

Source: Own Computation, 2013

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

The economies of self-help were founded upon ‘the capacity and freedom of individuals and
small groups to make their own decisions, more to do manual work’ (Turner J., 1982).

Creating incremental Development

Self-build Incrementally developed housing strategies are a major component for integrating
inner-city heritage urban development which allows the neighbourhoods to improve organically
without uprooting communities. Moreover it rehabilitates the organic patterns and respects the
social networks that have evolved during time.
Building Height: The proposed maximum
permitted building heights for the study site
will achieve an appropriate scale in relation to
the surrounding context and the proposed
streets public space networks. (The 2002
Piazza LDP permitted for mainly residential
buildings of maximum height of G+1 for the
area.)

Figure 7‐15: Building Height

Source: Own Computation, 2013

Adequate housing and secure tenure are two pre conditions for maintaining a stable population
in the historic neighbourhood intervention scheme to be effective. Therefore, different housing
typologies are provided to tackle the housing problem. On the other hand the social structure
and economic means of the residents taken into consideration by giving commercial spaces like
courtyards, defined working and living spaces within their houses so that the residents be able
to self –sufficient and most of all new development schemes should not disrupt community
relations and family ties. Most of all the community needs to be more active on participation and
decision-making in the time of improving their neighbourhood. As mentioned in the methodology
part the population of the area is 3000 inhabitant reside in the 8ha area. The height regulation
on the LDP for the study area is up to three stories therefore, the proposal takes the LDP into
consideration and provides one and two story with mezzanine floor, two Buildings that can be
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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

developed by the owners gradually. The undulating terrain also has an input on the buildings
height because having basement is a possible opportunity.

Typology one: one story buildings with basement in

a (4m X 6.25m) 25 m2 plot area, 5m height and open
space at the front, these houses are mainly for
residential uses and locate at the steep location of
the site and needed a steep circulation which is
recommended in the proposal.

Typology Two: mixed use two storey buildings in a

25 m2 plot area, 8m height and open space at the
front located in the in-fill area mainly for mixed use
purpose and built incrementally.

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Typology Three: mixed use three storey buildings

in a (5.6m X 8.2m) 46m2 plot areas, 11m height and
open space at the front located in the street liners
mainly for mixed use purpose and apartments

Figure 7‐16: Typology one, two & three

Source: Own Computation, 2013

Housing development is more than building buildings and providing shelter. It is also about a
decent infrastructure and dignity of communal life through opportunities for inclusive urban
environment and decent and supportive milieu. The proposed typologies lay emphasis that the
inner-city historic neighbourhood to be appropriate to live, work and entertain for low- income
residents.

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8 Implementation
8.1 Rehabilitation of Buildings with Historic and Architectural significance
The rehabilitation approach of historic buildings raises a variety of crucial issues such as 1)
financing the rehabilitation of historic buildings, 2) the kind of public-private partnership used
and 3) the level of contribution of the historic area in the urban economy, and 4) how can
historic areas activities compete with new ones.

‘... Commercialization of the housing sector will contribute to innovative financing mechanisms
for rehabilitation of historic city centres’ (Steinberg F., 1996). Tourism activities could also
contribute to the sustainability of the historic centres by boosting the financial position.
Integrated financing that pools together private individual, private commercial as well as public-
sector efforts and funds contribute for the rehabilitation of the historic area and for the upgrading
of the housing stock as well.

8.2 Economic Regeneration on ‘Housing’ in the Historic Neighbourhood

¾ Recognizing Home Based Enterprises

Low and middle-income inner-city neighbourhood communities use their dwellings as

workplaces – to produce things, carry out traditional market ‘gulit’, food services, and provide
other services. This phenomenon of home-based enterprises (HBEs) is very important for
generating income and providing employment. to mention some countries as an examples of
employment in home based enterprises: Botswana & Zimbabwe 77% of enterprises are home-
based, 60% of all enterprises and 88% of women’s manufacturing enterprises in Lesotho is
home-based and 64% of female households in Dares salaam use their homes for economic
activity. Small-scale home-based enterprises use labour-intensive methods and work within
local neighbourhoods to self-employ their owners and to provide further jobs to the local labour
(Tipple, 1993; UN-Habitat, 2006).

¾ Domestic Finance for Self-build Housing

Housing finance sources may include conventional mortgage finance, subsidies, microfinance,
migrant remittances, and informal finance (Tibaijuka, A.K.2009). Housing microfinance (HMF) is
widely considered to fit into the incremental building process adopted by many poor households
when home is considered as a slow continual process of building and improvement rather than
a finished product (ibid). By managing their own financial base, the community organization not
only knows their members’ needs better, but provide people a simple, regular mechanism for
building collective management skills, cooperation and mutual assistance.
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Community-Based Housing Loans

A fast-growing strategy for channelling housing finance is getting group loans by the community
organization, which then on-lends to its members and takes responsibility for managing the
repayment process and making a single group repayment each month to the lender. In these
group loan strategies, the whole community is collectively responsible for repaying the loan, and
developing internal systems for ensuring the repayments are made in full each month even if
some members might have repayment problems. Although savings groups may have no legal
power to penalize late-payers, there are a number of techniques they can work into their loan
management systems to accommodate the inevitable repayment problems and to help their
neighbours who have problems making repayments.

These systems are positive, supportive, realistic and highly social. When communities design
and manage them, they will ensure good repayment, one way communities do this is by
charging their members an extra margin on top of the lender’s interest rate, or making some
extra monthly saving compulsory during the repayment period. Both techniques allow a
community to build up a reserve to act as a buffer against repayment problems (UNESCAP and
UN-Habitat, 2008b:24).

In the case study analysis most local business operate on a very small scale and informally
organized where the majority of the residents are self employees work on small neighbourhood
workshops or selling their labours in other areas. As a result their monthly income fluctuates
since their job opportunities may differ from time to time therefore it is difficult for them to
provide the necessary down payment for the housing banks. In order to upgrading the
distressed housing stocks, public infrastructure, rehabilitation of the existing historic buildings
and supporting overall economic development of the heritage inner-city neighbourhood area in
question. .

• Using the social and financial mechanisms such as ‘Ikub’ works best when the participants
need the lump sum at different times during the year,
and usually it is agreed beforehand as to who will
take the money each month. Such an arrangement
can be considered as a loan with no interest,
obviously of greater benefit to those who receive the
money at the beginning of the cycle. This type of
cooperative can be used to obtain money for building,
Figure 8‐1:‘Ikub’ & “idir’
Source: Rebeka Fekade Thesis, though at present it functions as a strictly informal

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agreement between individuals with common interests. It has the potential of being used by
people who cannot otherwise afford a down payment on an apartment, and can therefore be
used in conjunction with some of the other mechanisms suggested here. Encouraging
collaboration between local communities, entrepreneurs, government agencies, and NGO”s
so that household income can be increased by creating job opportunities through the
provision of training and technical support.
• Engaging householders and community leaders in the production and management of their
own dwellings. Participation in housing design and upgrading to create housing which
families could then add onto and customize as their needs change.
• Creating spaces in the ground floor for MSE’s in the newly self built two and three story
mixed use buildings which will be developed incrementally in order to create job
opportunities for the inhabitants. The idea of having shops on the ground floor is of particular
relevance to the area, because using shop revenues to pay the money which they borrowed
from (cooperatives, micro-finance organizations or community associations like ‘Idir’, ‘Ikub’
or ‘mehaber’ for the initial down payment or for the construction of upper floors.
• Providing security of tenure and access to services, so the low-income households able to
invest in housing and neighbourhood development through saving and borrowing, thereby
sharing the cost of urban development with the government.

8.3 Sustainable Construction Materials and Techniques

Low-cost does not mean substandard materials and techniques rather it is about searching
sustainable affordable alternatives. Construction should integrate safety and environmental
standards; the use of local materials.

• Affordable Building Techniques and Materials: The adaptation of traditional building

technologies - which are in harmony with local conditions, affordable, durable, reliable and,
importantly, functional for the modern life – is especially important. Locally available
traditional materials have much smaller environmental impact in contrast to materials such
as bricks, concrete and iron – mainly because of the lower embodied energy (CIB and
UNEP-IETC, 2002; UN-Habitat, 2011d).

• Sustainable Building Materials can be defined as materials with overall superior

performance in terms of specified criteria. The following criteria are commonly used: locally
produced and sourced materials, transport costs and environmental impact, thermal
efficiency, occupant needs and health considerations, financial viability, recyclability of
building materials and the demolished building, waste and pollution generated in the

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manufacturing process, energy required in the manufacturing process, use of renewable

resources, toxic emissions generated by the product and maintenance costs. Some
example of sustainable building materials: Adobe Bricks and Stabilized Earth Blocks.

o Adobe Brick Construction: Adobe bricks are made of earth, water and dried in the
sun. They can be made on various ways, depending on the local climate, site, available
materials, tools and labour. The whole process takes about one week in most favourable
dry climates. The brick making process can be expanded with the use of shovels,
wheelbarrows, multiple forms, front-end loaders and concrete pre plaster mixers. The
use of a hydraulic pressing machine that can create a large number of bricks is another
option. Once they are dray, adobe bricks are stacked to make walls. The bricks are
cemented together with a mud mortar made up of water and screened soil taken from
the same sources as the soil used to make the bricks. Adobe walls should be built on a
foundation of concrete or stone to protect them from moisture damage. Frames for
windows and doors are set in place as the wall goes up. (Mc Hendy, 2002)

An example of Adobe Brick Buildings in Lynedoch Eco-village, South Africa: A number of

adobe brick homes have been erected for staff members of the sustainability institute and the
Lynedoch community. Adobe brick were made on site using a single hand hold form and then
cured for a few weeks on the premises. Adobe soils contain a mixture of clay, silt, sand and
aggregate. Clay provides the glue which holds the bricks together. It is important that they
should be dry, hard and crack-free. Adobe bricks have the capacity to absorb, store and release
solar heat, i.e. thermal mass, though their thermal capacity is much lower than that of clay-fired
bricks or concrete. The walls were built on a concrete foundation and set on a two-brick pre-wall
to protect the adobe bricks from moisture damage (damp). The external walls were also
protected by a lime and clay mix plaster. Insulated wooden ceiling were installed, and
corrugated roof cladding. Vines and trees can be grown to protect them from driving rains. Vine
overhangs also provide shading from the sun on north-facing windows during the summer
months. Insulation can include building cavity walls filled in with materials such as mineral
wools, strawboard, wood, glass fibre, and cellulose fibre or recycled carpet under felt as used in
the Stone house project.

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Figure 8‐2: Adobe brick homes, Lynedoch Figure 8‐3: A luxury double‐story house
Eco‐village Source: Photo by Pierre Roux, 2009
Source: Photo by Pierre Roux, 2009

o Stabilized Earth Blocks: Earthen buildings have been built for thousands of years, and
there is a strong tradition of earthen structures on the African continent. Traditional mud
huts were the most common form of building before the advent of modern architecture
and planning. Earth buildings still shelter more than a third of the world’s population.
Recently there has been a worldwide resurgence of interest in earth building, especially
in developing countries where local earth is the most accessible source of building
material. There has been a worldwide resurgence of interest in earth building. However,
most soils do not contain the mix of clay, silt and sand required for good brick making.
Modern stabilization technology has broadened the range of natural soils suitable for
making compressed stabilized earth blocks, and increased their strength and durability.
(Roux, P. and Alexander, A. 2009).

Compressed stabilized earth blocks have the following advantages:

• An earth block walling system is much cheaper than bricks. The use of local soil and on-site
manufacturing saves on transport costs and fuel consumption, especially in remote areas
with poor road infrastructure.
• Pressed earth blocks have a low embodied energy value of around 0.42 MJ/kg and a
negligible carbon foot print.
• Earth structures have good thermal properties which save on heating and cooling costs and
also fire, noise and bug resistant. (Makaka, G & Meyer, E. 2006).
• AnyWay stabilized block making is a non-toxic and environmentally safe process.
• It is a labour-intensive brick-making process that can be easily taught, and the stabilizer can
be used in remote areas to create earth building material.

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An Example of Compressed stabilized earth blocks: Pilot Project in Simunye Township,

Westonaria (South Africa): A stabilized earth-block house was constructed in December 2006.
Unemployed people were trained to manufacture compressed stabilized earth blocks (CSEBs)
on site with local soil, using a manually-operated press. A low-cost home was built and
plastered with earth mortar. The structure was tested and found to comply with the requirements
of the National Building Regulations. For CEB‘s to bind, 6% stabilizer is required and the CO2
reduction gained by using local soil was significant. The Simunye Project won the Canadian
International Cooperation Prix d’ Excellence Africa 2007 Award for demonstrating a more
socially transformative and environmentally sensitive approach to community development that
furthered entrepreneurial opportunities for women in Africa. It was also one of 15 finalists for the
international Institute for Sustainable Development and UNDP 2008 SEED Award
(www.seedinit.org).

Training given to community members

Figure 8‐4: Training given to community members

Source: Photo by Alex Alexander, South Africa, 2009

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Selam Technical and Vocational Centre (Sustainable Low-Cost Housing in Ethiopia, A

Study of CSSB-technology- by Arash Afkar, 2010)

Selam Technical and Vocational Center (STVC) is located in Addis Ababa and was established
over 20 years ago. The centre provides child care for orphans, education, vocational training
and development of appropriate and sustainable technology. The center produces soil blocks
such as Adobe blocks and currently working on CSSB-production. CSSB is a building block
made from soil, water and cement; working as a stabilizer, mixed and compressed in a pressing
machine. The most common produced block is the interlocking CSSB, with a cement proportion
of 8 %. Another type of block has one corner made as a quarter of a circle which is ideal for
corners or freestanding columns. The productivity is approximately 4 blocks per minute using
the electrical press and the blocks were
then placed under shade for 28 days of
drying. The blocks are then sold to
costumers with a price range of 3-8 ETB
per block depending on the type block.

Figure 8‐5: a Manually pressed CSSB and Interlocking CSSB at STVC

Source: Photo Arash Afkari, Addis Ababa, 2010

An Example of Cement Stabilized Soil Block

Save the children, Office building
Office building for Rädda Barnen, the Swedish saves the children organization in Addis Ababa.
The office consists of a two storey building: the interior and exterior walls consist of CSSB and
were produced on the site with the soil from the site. The block production team was introduced
to the block making methods and trained by Abako International Partners, an architecture and
construction management company based in Gothenburg Sweden. The blocks in the exterior
walls are 200 mm wide and have a cement content of 15 %. The blocks in the interior walls are
built with 140 mm wide blocks and have a cement content of 7 %. The walls were then painted
with emulsion paint.
The building was built from 1995-1997 and has a
gross area of 850 m².

Figure 8‐6: CSSB used in office building

Source: Photo Arash Afkari, Addis Ababa, 2010
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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

An Example of SICU – Sustainable Incremental Construction Unit is an experimental

process oriented building prototype which also deal with participatory design to be done on a
high dense neighbourhood of Addis Ababa in 2013.
Construction and material concept: constructing local skills and adaptable techniques in
contemporary circumstances as well as environment of the society (skill upgrading)
• Building components: Prefab elements including concrete foundations and other
construction systems.
• Construction technique: wood / eucalyptus latticework structure
• Structure: one story structure with the potential of increment at the roof level.
• Implementation: a half ready construction with the potential to be used as it is. (incremental)
• (Collaborative Projects in the City, 2013)

SICU, final prototype at the kebele site in Lideta,

Addis Ababa september, 2013

SICU prototype foundations

SICU prototype prefabricated concrete structure

Figure 8‐7: Sustainable prefabricated concrete structure

Source: Collaborative Projects in the City, 2013

SICU prototype at EiABC Campus

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8.4 Institutional Arrangements

The current policies and practices toward the historic areas existed in the core area of Addis
Ababa on the part of municipal governments reflect a limited view that recognizes only a small
portion of contribution that these historic centres can make to economic growth and society-at-
large. But by changing the perspective of professionals, government entities, inhabitants, the
private sector and the general public as a whole - in a manner that rehabilitation and upgrading
of the inner-city historic neighbourhood can make a contribution to income growth, employment
creation, poverty reduction, and overall economic advance.

Successful implementation of urban revitalization initiatives ultimately depends on

development of partnerships between government (at the national or local level) and private
investors (Steinberg 1996 and 1998).

A well defined institutional arrangement in place and which gives technical, political and management
autonomy to a locally-based public-private organization capable to steer the process

• By creating an autonomous management body to locally-based public private organizations to

promote the site as urban heritage and as a commercial venue and who can have the capacity
to attract the private sectors.
• By offering building materials for the residents at affordable prices, while government agencies
were responsible for neighbourhood infrastructure improvements.
• By provide technical assistance and specialised construction labour, tools, machineries and
materials. These efforts target the entire neighbourhood for rehabilitation rather than a few
tenements, focusing on upgraded community facilities and neighbourhood infrastructure and the
“adopting” of specific streets or blocks.
• By financing Community centres and social programmes including a centre for disabled, for the
elderly, and a youth centre in the rehabilitated historic buildings.
• Since the setting of the inner-city neighbourhood is largely residential, participatory methods in
integrating process are the key to finding sustainable solutions to the design and
implementation process.
• The participatory design method “self build community Architects” programme which will be
practiced in the new construction of incremental development of low-cost housing , rehabilitation
of historic buildings, Construction of new commercial and housing complexes where
appropriate.
Finally, the planning and implementation expected outputs of integrating heritage
neighbourhood in the historic inner-city neighbourhood will be as follows:

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

• Adaptive use and re-use of existing buildings with historical value and architectural
significance , and construction of new commercial and housing facilities in harmony with
the historic aspects of the area
• Rehabilitation of dilapidated housing stock in the in-fill area
• Construction or upgrading of essential infrastructure and improvement of the physical
environment;
• development of SMEs; and
• Building of institutional capacity for management of the rehabilitation and upgrading
effort.
Forming investment partnerships with the private sector is the key element since it is private
initiative that sustains urban regeneration over time. Further, forming such partnerships requires
policies that respond to the budget constraints in development process of the inner-city historic
neighbourhood.

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Integrating Inner-City Historic Neighbourhood in Urban Redevelopment Programs of Addis Ababa

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APPENDIX-1: Urban Design Program

1) Context Regeneration
• Physical Recovery of Distressed Built Structures
o Rehabilitation experiment samples (Monsieur Minas Kerbekean
residential building, before and after restoration Proposal and small
building on the Junction road)
2) Socio-Economic Viability
• Street upgrading Interventions (Road network layout and section)
o 20 meters two-way traffic (SA, AR), 12 meter one way traffic roads (CS1)
8m on (CS2) and 4m (LS, purely pedestrian)
o steps that respond to the topography of the area
¾ Space for Social Cohesion and Economic Viability
• Mix uses and forms
o G+5 – active frontage on the first two floors the rest is apartment
(existing buildings on the main street)
o G+2 – ground floor commercial and the rest is residential use
(incremental growth)
o G+1 – the ground floor for small and medium scale services, (self-built or
community architects)
3) Place for people
• Hierarchy of spaces: open space, green space and parking, street as
social space
o outdoor activities ( small market)
o courtyard
o walkway ( junctions and on street activities – vender’s)
o playground (door step)

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APPENDIX-2: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR HOUSEHOLDS SURVEY

Dear respondents’
I am currently working on my post graduate thesis paper entitled “integrating Inner-city Heritage
Neighbourhood in Urban redevelopment Program of Addis Ababa in the case of “Serategna
sefer”. This questionnaire is meant to assess the physical, socio-economic and environment al
conditions of the study area. Therefore, information acquired from respondents has significant
contribution for the success of the study.

Research Project: Integrating inner-city heritage neighbourhood in urban redevelopment

Program of Addis Ababa (in the case of “Serategna Sefer” Arada Sub City)
A) For: Households Survey
Name of Interviewer:

Date:

Part I Household senses

Name of head of the household:

Name of the respondent (if other than head):

Zone: Woreda: Kebele: House No:

Part I ‐ Household Census

1. Name of head of household: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Age of head of household: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Sex of HH

A) Male B) Female

4. Marital status of HH

A) Single B) Married C) Divorced/separated D) Widowed

5. Education of HH

A) No. formal education B) Primary school C) Secondary school D) Vocational school

6. Total Household size: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. Total number of dependent children: -------------------------------------------------------------------

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8. Total number of children in school age: ----------------------------------------------------------------

9. Total number of children attending school: ------------------------------------------------------------

10. Total number of earning household members: -------------------------------------------------------

11. Total number of dependant adult household members: --------------------------------------------

12. Type of household composition: ------------------------------------------------------------------------

A) Single household head

B) Single household head and children
C) Single household head with children and other adults
D) Single household head sharing with friends and relatives
E) Couple
F) Couple and dependent children
G) couple sharing with friends and relatives
H) other

13. Employment status of the head of household

A) Employed B) Unemployed

14. Employment type

A) Self employed B) Employee of other individual C) Employee of Govt. /org. D) Other

15. Employment condition

A) Permanent full-time B) Permanent part-time C) Temporary

16. Income of the head of household from principal occupation last month (Birr):----------------

17. income of the head of household from secondary occupation last month (Birr):--------------

18. Total monthly income of the head of head of the household (Birr):-------------------------------

19. Total earnings of other household members (Birr): --------------------------------------------------

20. Total household additional income from other sources (Birr):--------------------------------------

21. Total Household Income (Birr): ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

22. Total Household expenditure per month(month): -----------------------------------------------------

23. Total annual household expenditure(birr)

24. How long have you been living in Addis Ababa

A) Four less than one year

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B) For 1-2 years

C) for 2-5 years
D) for 5-10 years
E) for 10-20 years
F) for 20 years and above
G) Since birth
25. How long have you been living in this locality?

A) for less than one year

B) for 1-2 years
C) for 2-5 years
D) for 5-10 years
E) for 10-20 years
F) for 20 years and above
G) Since birth
26. Are you contented with social interaction and co-operation in this neighbourhood?

A) Yes B) No

27. If your answer for question No. 26 is yes, why?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
28. Where do you and the members of your family usually spend their leisure time?

A) at home B) locally, outside home C) elsewhere D) No fixed location

29. When do you and the members of your family usually spend their leisure time?

A) Morning B) Afternoon C) Evening D) No fixed time

30. in which local association you or your family member are a member

A) Idir B) Ikub C) Religious institutions D) other

31. Mode of transportation

A) walk B) city bus C) mini-bus D) other

32. Transport cost

A) 0-10 Birr B) 11-20 Birr c) 21-50 Birr

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Part II questions regarding your Neighbourhood

33. What do you know about the history of your locality?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
34. Do you think you belong to this locality? If your answer is yes why?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
35. What do you like about the locality?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
36. What do you dislike about the locality?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
37. What improvements you wish to see in the locality? prioritize improvements

1) No improvement
2) housing improvement
3) Individual water connection
4) sewer
5) electricity
6) individual toilet
7) better roads
8) schools
9) other
38. What is your opinion regarding the historic identity of the area?

A) should be kept with some improvements

B) should be demolished
C) I don’t care
39. Do you want to move in another place or you prefer to stay in this locality?

A) like to stay B) like to move

40. What do you think about the present condition of your house?

A) needs no repair B) Needs little or some repair C) Needs major repair D) Needs
rebuilding E) other
41. given the opportunity, if the area is chosen for redevelopment and you are asked for
relocation where do you prefer to move
A) Rental house in the centre B) any place in the city C) move to another city D) other
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Part III – Questions regarding your house

42. Who owns this house?

A) Kebele B) Private C) rented from private owner D) other

43. If you rented from kebele how much do you pay per month? Birr

A) 2-10 B) 11-50 C) >50

44. If you rented from private owner how much do you pay per month? Birr

B) <500 B) 500 - 1000 C) 1001 – 1500 D) >1501

45. Do you share your compound?

A) yes B) No

46. function of the house

A) only for housing B) both housing and working C)only Commercial

47. Housing typology

A) Linearly Built C) Attached D) Multi storey

Part IV - Housing Construction Materials and Condition

48. Housing construction material

48.1 Roof material

A) CIS B) Other

48.2 Wall material

A) earth (chika) B) HCB C) Brick D) other

48.3 Floor material

A) Earth (chika) B) Cement screed C) Parquet D) ceramic
49. Types of kitchen facility

A) Communal B) private C) none

50. Types of toilet facility

A) dry pit latrine in compound/private/ B) dry pit latrine in compound/shared/ C) public or

neighbours facility

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51. Main source of electricity

A) private meter B) shared meter
52. Main source of drinking water
A) private pipe meter B) Piped to compound C) public stand pipe (Bono) D) other
53. Liquid waste disposal
A) open ditch masonry wall B) Closed ditch masonry wall C) open ditch D) none
54. Solid waste disposal
A) damped in hole in the compound B) damped in nearby ditch C)| collected by private
collectors D) collected by municipality or other govt. agency
55. How much do you pay for waste disposal? --------------------------------------------------

Research Project: Integrating inner-city heritage neighbourhood in urban redevelopment

Program of Addis Ababa (in the case of “Serategna Sefer” Arada Sub City)

B) In-depth Interview
Part I - for Focused Group Discussion with household heads
1. Owner’s name:
2. How do you describe the status of your current building?
3. Do you think that your building is in a critical situation?
4. Did you try to maintain the building?
5. Do you feel safe while you are living in this area?
6. Do you think you have public open space for social gathering?
7. Do you think you have public open space for social gathering?
8. What do you like or dislike about your locality?
9. What improvements would you like to see in this area and would you like to pay for those
improvements?
10. Would you agree to move to other places if this area is planned for redevelopment?
11. Is everybody has the capacity to pay for the condominium?
12. What do you know about the history of this place?
13. For how long have you been living in your house?
Part II - for Arada Sub city
1. How was the LDP prepared in relation to Preservation and conservation of heritage
buildings and sites?
• Community participation?
• Other stake holder participatory approaches?

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2. Concerning the Piazza LDP proposal, how did the plan considered the different Heritage
buildings and sites, what are the relevant policies and principles?
• On the project proposal level
• On implementation level
3. How does the policy enforcement issue support the conservation and preservation
activities?
4. Is there any redevelopment around the heritage buildings and in Historic sites? What
practical interventions are proposed to integrate heritages with other buildings?
• If yes, is the redevelopment considering the harmony of the settlement pattern
and façade treatment of buildings, building height, and arrangements?
5. Are there any heritage conservation or preservation attempt proposed by any stakeholder
and efforts made towards coordinating individual actors?
• What kind of development proposal was it?
• If yes, what are the parameters taken for evaluation?
• What kind of recommendation was forwarded?
• What was the response to the recommendations?
• What has been done so far?
6. Any collaboration work regarding to safeguard and maintain the historic sites and to prepare
guidelines for the city’s future development and for the conservation of its historic quarters
7. What kind of measures did the sub-city take when one building maintained illegally?
8. How many historic buildings are maintained illegally?
9. How many historic buildings are saved from illegal maintenance by the sub-city?
10. How many historic buildings in your sub-city bulldoze till now? Can you tell me the reasons?
11. What are your responsibilities when one historic building demolished?
12. Are there any historic buildings that are intended to be demolished in the near future?
13. What are the procedures to demolish the historical buildings that are in conflict with the
existing development plan?
14. Do you think that the social structure is supported by way spatial relationship has been
established in the old neighbourhoods?
15. Do you think that the social structure be in risk due to the redevelopment processes?
16. Do you think that the built and the social heritage features are: a) adequately identified, and
b) adequately protected? If not, what do you think should be done to improve the situation?
17. What do you think is the single most important action the municipal government could
undertake to encourage heritage preservation and balancing with modernity in historic sites

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18. What shall be done to curb the problems and make the areas more appealing in the sense
of integrating heritage with new buildings?

Part III - for Non-Governmental Organization

19. Name of Organization ______________________________
20. Name of the representative for the Organization: _________________
21. What is your main objective with respect to preservation of heritage buildings and sites?
22. How does the cultural protection and conservation policy supporting the activities of the
Authority?
23. What are the activities you have done regarding preservation and conservation of Heritage
values?
24. Is there any problem you faced in the preservation and conservation process? If yes, can
you explain the problems?
25. How do the concerned offices support your activities?
26. What do you see as the value to the community of preservation of heritage properties? What
have you done to save built heritage in historically protected areas
27. What is the response of the society about your activities?
28. Does your office involve in the preparation of local development pans? If yes, what was your
involvement?
29. How do you evaluate the implementation of the proposal of the LDP?
30. What shall be done to improve the restoration process?
31. What efforts have been done to preserve historic buildings to keep their originality?
32. Do you have examples in historical sites of loss of heritage that you think should have been
saved? If so, what would have been needed to change the outcome
33. Are there any historical buildings that your organizations try to save it from bulldozing?
34. What efforts have been made by your organization to create public awareness?
35. If some historic building is getting bulldozed even though it is not contradicting with the
development plan what will be the responsibility and the response of your organization?
36. How many historic buildings are saved from illegal maintenance?
37. Any relevant information….
38. Remarks:_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

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Part IV - For Addis Ababa Master Plan Office

1. How was the LDP prepared in relation to Preservation and conservation of Heritage
buildings and sites?
• Community participation?
• Other stake holder participatory approaches?
2. Concerning the Piazza LDP proposal, how did the plan considered the different Heritage
buildings and sites, what are the relevant policies and principles?
• On the project proposal level
• On implementation level
3. How does the policy enforcement issue support the conservation and preservation
activities?
4. Is there any redevelopment around the heritage buildings and in Historic sites? What
practical interventions are proposed to integrate heritages with other buildings?
• If yes, is the redevelopment considering the harmony of the settlement pattern
and façade treatment of buildings, building height, and arrangements?
5. Are there any heritage conservation or preservation attempt proposed by any stakeholder
and efforts made towards coordinating individual actors?
• What kind of development proposal was it?
• If yes, what are the parameters taken for evaluation?
• What kind of recommendation was forwarded?
• What was the response to the recommendations?
• What has been done so far?
6. Are there any guideline/principles which determine the spatial relationship of buildings and
the streets?
• Building height to street width
• Open space and built form
7. What was the implementation strategy proposed? And how does it evaluate the
implementation process
8. What shall be done to curb the problems and make the areas more appealing in the sense
of integrating heritage with new buildings?
Remarks:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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