Birhanu Girma (PhD)Ahmedtofik Mohammed Tahir2024-04-042024-04-042024-02-01https://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/2714In order to deal with such 21st-century urban challenges, one of the major areas of intervention to ensure healthy development in urban centers is efficient and effective land use planning and implementation. However, the implementation of an urban land use plan is hindered by different factors. Thus, this paper examines the major challenges of land use plan implementation in major towns surrounding Addis Ababa. Laga Tafo Laga Dadi Town, which has exhibited increasing urban growth and land use plan implementation challenges, is used as a case study. The paper employs a qualitative research method in order to identify major challenges of land use plan implementation and their effects on urban development in Laga Tafo Laga Dadi Town. Questionnaires, interviews, observation, and existing land use surveys were employed to collect data. A judgmental and random sampling technique was used. While descriptive analysis and RII were deployed for data analysis. The findings of the study indicated that the absence of stakeholders’ participation in the land use plan preparation and implementation, the expansion of illegal settlements, corruption, a lack of integration and coordination among sectoral offices, poor data management, and a lack of monitoring and evaluation were the major challenges that hindered the implementation of a land use plan in the town. Consequently, this lack of well-implemented land use plans negatively affected the overall development, which increased the expansion of urban sprawl, inefficient use of resources, environmental degradation, and social and economic inequalities. Thus, the study recommends strengthening stakeholders’ participation in plan preparation and implementation, establishing a monitoring and evaluation scheme, and organizing a data management center for the successful implementation of the land use plan in Laga Tafo Laga Dadi Town. Keywords: Land Use Plan, Plan Implementation, Challenges, Effects, Urban Development.enThesis