TITLE:
Analyzing Social Residential Disparities as Influenced by Physical Planning and Self-Organization
AUTHORS:
Gloria Angela Mukova
KEYWORDS:
Physical Planning, Self-Organization, Disparities, Residential Development
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.12 No.8,
August
19,
2025
ABSTRACT: Cities come into existence through the interaction of non-linear complex subsystems. Formal physical planning is a force and a process of organizing cities; it aims at coordinated, orderly and equitable development. Cities, however, now and then do not turn out at the expectations of the plans, there are undesirable outcomes. Residential development in many African cities has been haphazard, unplanned, even neglected as depicted in the social residential disparities among communities. This research explains how physical planning influences these disparities on one hand and, the role of self-organization in the development of these disparities on the other hand. The study was carried out in Kampala, in three parishes in the central region. A qualitative study was done in 2 zones from each parish using observation, interviews and documents review as data collection methods. The four categories of disparities observed (structured residential, residential enclaves, pockets and formal rental) have been influenced by processes, procedures, actions and decisions of different actors. Physical planning has been influenced more through its weaknesses and gaps, while self-organization more through the desire to meet a need. Results show that Kampala as a city has a dual system, with different forces pushing towards spatial organization. The interaction between formal physical planning, social systems (self-organization) and the planning object (Human space/land) seems more oppositional than synchronous. It is this oppositional relationship fueling and fanning the disparities. Self-organization here is steered mostly by individual spontaneous actions; therefore, residential disparities in a way come as a snowball effect. It was also observed that space/land is not fully controlled by physical planning but more by the social systems, hence making planning’s objective complicated. As a recommendation, therefore, physical planning should work with self-organization through incentives and support to achieve its goals as well as meet the needs of especially the urban poor.