Using suitability analysis, informed by Co-Design, to assess contextually appropriate urban growth models in Gulu, Uganda

Uganda has one of Africa’s fastest urban growth rates, compounding urban challenges, including urban sprawl, the proliferation of informal settlements, decrepit housing, and the privatization of urban development without providing public open space and transport connectivity. In response, this paper tests generic models of urbanization that could be applied in Uganda. This evaluation is conducted through a suitability analysis, informed through Co- Design activities, of the city of Gulu in Northern Uganda. The paper concludes that a corridor model is most responsive to existing environmental, transportation and land-use conditions and residents’ aspirations.