Enhancing the sense of community, an assessment of the structure and design of community Centres in Kampala

Abstract

“The question of what kind of city we want cannot be divorced from that of what kind of social ties, relationships to nature, lifestyles, technologies and aesthetic values we desire.” -David Harvey “The Right to the City” The goal of this research is to develop some recommendations for the design of community centres that fulfil the purpose of meeting the needs of their users, which in turn builds a strong sense of community which merits safe and lively neighbourhoods. At the moment, community centres in Kampala city are inactive, irrelevant and spaces that don’t appear to meet community needs that need to be revamped. The major argument of the research is that, the role of these community centres in Kampala City has greatly depreciated yet they are still relevant spaces; - The research explores if it is possible to attract community members to these centres and attract life into them and make them relevant. This study will offer an understanding and basis for the design of community spaces within the city. It is important to note however, that the results of this research are specific to the scope of communities studied as each centre should be tailored to meet the needs of its users and address their challenges.