Urban Design Characteristics that Influence Human Activities in Swahili Streets: The Case of Old Town Mombasa

Abstract

Mombasa is a city along the East African Coast. The city has rich Historical, Architectural and Cultural attributes that make it one of the significant civilizations of the world. Due to these attributes, the city has experienced physical, social, economic and environmental challenges in trying to preserve itself for future generations. For example, the streets within the old town of Mombasa are unique in nature and provide settings for various social and economic activities. However, these a ctivities are not seen to take place in some parts of the streets within the Old Town. These streets form part of the urban spaces within the old town. The study establishes the characteristics of these urban spaces that influence human activities within t he streets. The study combined both qualitative and quantitative research methods to investigate the urban design elements along the streets. The study established that physical characteristics including the width of the streets, the number of columns per meter length of the street, the average building height and the average height of windows, along the streets influence human activities at different levels. The study also established the types of activities that take place within these urban spaces.