City sub-area master plans released

KIGALI - Kigali City completed four other Sub-Area Master Plans for the districts of Gasabo and Kicukiro to facilitate further development in the city. The plans valued at about US$1.6 million, include the 90-hectare Kimihurura Urban Centre which will also include residential, offices and hotels.Other sites are Kinyinya Town Centre in Gasabo, Rebero and Masaka Sectors. The 200 hectare Kinyinya town, according to the plan, will be the urban centre for the surrounding villages of Gisozi, Nyarutarama and Batsinda, all in Gasabo District while Rebero was reserved for a cultural village, hotels and conferences and retirement housing. Masaka will also be one of the city centres within Kigali which will accommodate over 17,000 people. It will also have four other village centres while the existing Masaka town will be redeveloped. Meanwhile, the Four Kigali Sub Area Plans, last week won the American Planning Association (APA) National Planning Excellence, Achievement, and Leadership Award 2011. The APA award honours the best international project. About 5,000 projects took part in the competition, most of them from the US. In an interview with The New Times, Donna Rubinoff, Kigali City Director of Urban Planning and One Stop Centre, said that the prize was based on the quality of the master plan. “It won the award because of its sustainability urbanism (environmental, social and economic urbanism) and how it relates to urban development,” said Rubinoff, who is one of the brains behind the city master plan. “It supports development, economic development, safety, public health and social cohesion,” she added.Rubinoff also explained that it would not be possible to complete the physical detailed master plan for the two districts this year as previously stated by the Kigali city administration. The city had in its 2010/11 financial year, set aside about Rwf 2.4 billion to complete the detailed master plan for the two districts. “I am working on the strategy where the experts will come here and work with the local staff to develop the master plans. That can take a little longer because of some complications that might arise, but it would cost less than it would if it was done from abroad. We hope to complete the two master plans in the next financial year (2011/12)” Rubinoff said. Ends