Residential density

This study is about the residential density of various areas of Addis Ababa…. Residential density is one type of measurement showing how dense or sparse a given residential settlement is. It is a critical attribute determining the quality of life in urban areas and beyond. Thus, it is often included in urban plans as part of a zoning ordinance prepared by municipalities. We chose to dwell on the issue of density for the fact that the physical dimension of a city has a decisive impact on its economic, social and environmental performance. In cities such as Addis Ababa this becomes even more pronounced because the land within its administrative boundaries is nearly all occupied. The city seems to have no option but to grow vertically, both on the little remaining vacant land, by infill in existing compounds and redeveloping built-up areas. The question remains how dense it should be; which is often connected how high we should build? In order to inform this question, we opted to first understand the existing density of selected settlements within Addis Ababa and compare it with both locally and internationally available standards….Read more