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8 - History, Practices, Challenges and Opportunities of Urban Planning in Zimbabwe

from Part II - Case Studies on Urban Planning in African Countries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2023

By
Innocent Chirisa ,
Tinashe Bobo ,
Rumbidzai Mpahlo  and
Abraham Matamanda
Edited by
Patrick Brandful Cobbinah  and
Eric Gaisie
Patrick Brandful Cobbinah
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne
Eric Gaisie
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne
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Summary

The British colonisers introduced urban planning in Zimbabwe in 1890. The 1933 Planning Act, situated largely in the realities of Britain at the time, institutionalised planning as a practice for adoption by urban local authorities. The legislation was amended in 1945 to embrace changes noted in the countryside so that it became a Town and Country Planning Act. Noticing that some of the developments were exceeding one district, in 1976 the Planning and Country Act was revised to become the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act. It was revised in 1995 and still retains the title. The legislative instrument guides planning practice, directing regional, master and local planning. It covers aspects of development control, subdivision and consolidation. It would appear that all was going well until the practice began to be challenged in the 2000s, as retaining colonialist rigidity made development cumbersome if the necessary approvals were not in place. The 2005 Operation Murambatsvina was perhaps one of the worst human disasters in the land, with the planned city displacing the poor. A host of challenges exist, yet opportunities are there to improve planning in Zimbabwe.

Keywords

statutory planningneedsprofessionalismsustainabilitypolicy
Type
Chapter
Information
Reimagining Urban Planning in Africa , pp. 131 - 142
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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