Urban Research Services

Jacob Kimaryo Consultancy has professional expertise for planning and carrying out applied and scientific urban research. We can also contribute to parts of urban research projects.

 

Applied Urban Research

Applied urban research concerns actual spatial or non-spatial problems within the urban scene. It addresses such problems and provide solutions in the form of proposals and recommendations.  Actual spatial or non-spatial problems affect people directly and their resolution is often crucial and urgent, making applied urban research an important aspect of most urban development agendas. This significance of applied research to urban development is also reflected in our research activities of which it constitutes a substantial part. Our expertise in this area is in among others, carrying out the following:

• Urban form studies, e.g. studies on: land use patterns, traffic circulation systems, solid-void interfaces, physical densities and urban space treatment

• Urban space use studies

• Urban traffic and transportation studies 

• Feasibility studies for urban development projects including assessment of development potentials of sites

• Housing Surveys

• Urban renewal and conservation studies, e.g. inventory studies of buildings, land use patterns, traffic circulation systems, solid-void interfaces including physical densities, urban space treatment, societal characteristics, natural environment features, etc.

• Economic studies of urban communities, e.g. studies concerning employment, retailing, industrial development, urban agriculture, leisure services, transport services, etc.

• Socio-cultural studies of urban communities, e.g. studies concerning demographic characteristics, lifestyle, social class, values, etc.

• Environmental Impact Assessment for proposed urban development projects

 

Scientific Urban Research

Scientific urban research is geared towards generating knowledge that could be used for tackling spatial or non-spatial urban problems. Unlike applied research, it does not necessarily focus on a particular spatial or non-spatial problem within a particular urban environment. It can in fact lead into identification of areas that require applied research and provide conceptual frameworks for such research as well. Usefulness of the results of a scientific urban research often transcends the geographical boundaries of that particular study. Notwithstanding, however, scientific urban research is more expensive to pursue and because of its abstract component, it may be considered less important than applied urban research particularly in rapidly changing urban areas with limited financial resources. Initiation of scientific urban research at local or even national level can therefore be rather seldom especially in developing countries. Nevertheless, we expect initiatives in this type of urban research from blocks of countries like European Union (EU), Southern African Development Community (SADC), East African Community (EAC), etc; and international development agencies like the United Nations Programme for Human Settlements, World Bank, UK's Department for International Development (DFID), Swedish International Agency for Development Co-operation (SIDA); etc.

 

Jacob Kimaryo Consultancy's interest in scientific urban research is currently in the following research themes:

• Urban Design and Society

• Towards the Creation of Good Cities

• Urban Planning and Climate Change

• Meaning of Built Environments

• Cities and Tourism

• Urbanisation, Urban Planning and Recent Changes in Local Environments in Africa

 

Part Contribution to Urban Research Projects

Jacob Kimaryo Consultancy can contribute to parts of research projects that concern urban development issues. This service could also be useful for doctoral students who may wish to have some external tutorial services. Particularly, we can contribute to one or more of the following research tasks:

• Identification and formulation of research problems

• Conceptualisation and development of analysis/research models

• Design of empirical investigations

• Data collection

• Data analysis

• Synthesis of research findings, and

• Compilation and editing of research materials