Housing and Settlement Transformations in the Surrounding Peri-Urban Areas of Hosanna Town: The cases of Ambicho and Kidigisa, Hadiya Zone, Ethiopia
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Date
2019-02-01
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Rate of urbanization is high in developing countries like Ethiopia. Subsequently, urban areas have been
crowded by population increase due to rural-urban migration and increased need of housing and
employment. However, due to lack of comprehensive plan to accommodate emerging needs of urbanization
surrounding rural ‘peri-urban’ areas become vulnerable for unplanned transformations. Although there is
little attempt to study socio-economic and policy issues in the peri-urban areas, the area of spatial
transformations in the peri-urban Hosanna is not studied so far. Therefore, the objective of this study focuses
on investigating characteristics, causes and processes of spatial transformations happening on transitional
peri-urban areas. The study also suggest possible recommendations for the future planning.
In order to achieve the esteemed objective, this study used case study method since it is best for descriptive
and explanatory analysis. Therefore, two cases, Ambicho and Kidigisa, are selected to have comparative
analysis too. In general, the study uses quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the extent and depth
of the problem.
The study found out that spatial transformations in the settlements happens due to multiple factors such as
‘selling’ land informally for economic improvement and fearing expropriation by government program,
and land fragmentation due to densification. These factors transform farm land and rural settlement in to
informal residential areas. As a result almost all rural land holdings experience fragmentation and use
change. Regarding housing type, four typologies of thatch roof houses are identified in these area. These
are ‘Goye’e’, ‘Jagara’, and ‘Sa’l mine’ and ‘ga’p mine’. Each of these typologies serve different purposes.
However, the transformations in the area replaced these traditional thatch roof houses by modern CIS roof
houses ‘korkoro bet’. Newly introduced ‘korkoro bet’ has two typologies, these are ‘amora kinf’ and
‘service bet’. Overall settlement transformations also include socio-economic change in which previous
livelihood base of farming have been replaced by commerce and some informal activities. Buying Bajaj for
business or sending family member abroad to generate remittance money are the main activities performed
after ‘selling’ of farm land.
Therefore, in order to promote infrastructure and service provision and to formalize informal economic
activities, this study recommends local governments, community leaders and urban planners to take
planning interventions through participatory approach. Planning should also consider livelihood base, sites
context and vernacular building culture of the community
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Keywords
Transformations, peri-urban, Hosanna, Hadiya, Ambicho, Kidigisa, settlement, housing