We focus on the peripheries of Nairobi (Kenya), specifically in Kitengela town and its surroundings in Kajiado County. These areas exemplify the rapid urban expansion, land-use changes, and environmental transformations occurring in fast-growing urban environments.
Urban Care adopts a systemic approach to study the specific environments where land-use changes occur, bringing together expertise in environmental sciences, social sciences, and public health.
This theme tracks land cover and land use changes using spatial analyses that integrate remote sensing data, manual interpretation of satellite imagery, and cadastral maps. We also analyze land markets through qualitative surveys to understand the changes in the sociology of property and measure the subdivisions of rural holdings into residential plots.
We measure environmental quality through targeted monitoring of air, water, and soil. Our research assesses air pollution via portable devices and dispersion modeling, water quality in boreholes and major water bodies, and soil contamination in impacted areas affected by human activities, including quarries, industrial yards, roadside corridors, dumpsites, and residential edges.
Biodiversity assessments are carried out in selected sites using transect methods to inventory plants and trees, alongside interviews with residents to understand local ecological knowledge and practices.
Surveys and in-depth interviews will be conducted to document residents’ daily interactions with environmental hazards, as well as their perceptions, knowledge, and adaptive strategies related to pollution and environmental risks.
Explore our collaborative research, fieldwork, artistic approaches, and policy dialogues.
Collaborative artistic methods including illustration and photography accompanying research to generate alternative narratives and visual stories.
Learn moreSystematic land use surveys, environmental monitoring, health assessments, and service access studies through collaborative fieldwork with residents.
Learn moreEngaging residents and schools in collaborative research through organized meetings, focal person networks, and environmental science clubs.
Learn moreEstablishing research collaboration with municipal authorities to co-develop roadmaps and integrate findings into policy and planning.
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Urban Care is a multidisciplinary research project studying small towns and peri-urban areas in Kenya. It brings together experts in environmental sciences, social sciences, and public health, working closely with local residents, schools, clinics, NGOs and public authorities.