Planning in Malawi: A Historical Perspective By John Chome

Outline Pre and post independence periods Policy successes and failures Lilongwe and Blantyre Challenges and the what and how?

Planning trends – Pre independence Exclusive planning Concerned with the interests of the (white) settler community and their business interests (commercial and farming). Some focus on laying out basic infrastructure – roads, water and sewerage largely to serve these interests. Spatial planning and standards based on racial lines. Later planning schemes to accommodate African civil servants housing. Otherwise Africans allowed in the city only during the daytime.

Post independence planning trends Decentralised urbanisation Key Policy actions Moving the capital from Zomba to Lilongwe (1969-1975) Rural Growth Centres (1980s) Development of secondary towns (1980s – 2010) Integrated Rural Development – Infrastructure Services Programme (current)

Factors underpinning the post independence planning approach Improving efficiency of Government by concentrating central government administration in one city (the case of Lilongwe). Stimulate development in underdeveloped areas. To support rural agricultural development. To reduce rural urban migration. Political – to encourage national unity through widely shared development.

Policy successes and failures There is no primate city in Malawi Secondary towns have attracted sizeable investments and growth Failures Rural urban migration not tamed Management of these planning interventions ‘after the project period’ has largely been a failure. Much of growth in secondary towns is in trading as opposed to investment in manufacturing/industrialization. Rural Growth Centres tried to orchestrate an outcome rather than invest in the areas growing naturally.

Other significant planning interventions Traditional Housing Areas developed on a ‘site and service’ basis is the most significant and successful housing intervention ever undertaken in Malawi. They significantly reduced slum formation and enabled the urban poor access land and build own houses with lowered standards. Malawi pioneered these from the 1960s but for various reasons largely discontinued in the 1980s. Housing estates developed by Malawi Housing Cooperation, city councils but nowhere near the demand. Less successful urban housing projects (World Bank) especially in Blantyre. Slum upgrading carried out on piecemeal fashion over the years with no tangible impact. Current initiatives for slum upgrading seek to address citywide and nationwide slum upgrading.

Planning frameworks British Planning Act 1948 – guided planning in Malawi pre-independence and in the years after independence. Town and Country Planning Act revised and enacted in 1987 and revised again in 2012 but not yet enacted. Building code and bylaws also dating back to colonial times. Attempts made in recent times to revise these. At the micro level the Town Planning Guidelines and Standards of 1987 and currently being revised. At the municipal level - urban structure plans and lower level plans.

Planning in Lilongwe Moving capital from Zomba had been a point of argument since 1922. In 1946 Zomba was devastated by a cyclone. Post cyclone committee recommended to move the capital to Blantyre. Legislative Council considered report in 1947 but move never took place. Lilongwe became township in 1947. 1965 British firm Brian Colquhoun and Partners appointed to consider capital remaining in Zomba or moving to Lilongwe. They recommended capital move to Lilongwe.

Planning in Lilongwe cont’d Imex (Pty) of Jo’burg appointed to do a master plan of Lilongwe in 1965. Critical comments on plan induced Govt to have Ministry of Works and Supplies which had a Town Planning Department to be Capital City Project ‘Consultants’. This marked the rise of the Department of Town and Country Planning in the country. Capital City Plan formulation completed in 1969. Implementation begun in 1969 and in 1975 Lilongwe attained city status. In 1992 Govt mandated city councils to form city planning departments. Second Lilongwe Urban Structure Plan formulated in 1986. Third Lilongwe Urban Structure Plan formulated in 2010. A city development strategy formulated in 2011.

Planning in Blantyre In 1892, Govt bought land from local chief in Blantyre for 115 Pounds where the Boma was planned and built. In 1894, 20 landowners decided to establish a township and prepared a plan for Blantyre. In 1895 the township of Blantyre was founded and a Town Council established which begun to implement the plan. Limbe town council founded in 1909 and its first plan formulated. Blantyre and Limbe declared a planning area in 1949 and outline zoning scheme prepared in 1951. 1956 Blantyre and Limbe Township amalgamated. 1959 Municipality of Blantyre and Limbe. 1966 City of Blantyre declared – first city in Malawi. 1971 First Blantyre Structure Plan formulated. 1999 Second Blantyre Urban Structure Plan formulated.

Challenges Post independence city development plans have faced implementation challenges. As opposed to ‘planning projects’ which are based on political and funding commitments, city development plans have not been able to mobilise resources for implementation. Planning has been of the 10-20 year master plan style – too ambitious, not backed by resources and inflexible to responding to rapid urban changes. Strategic planning has been almost non existent in recent times– city councils have focused on microplanning – concerned largely with details of building plans as opposed to strategic issues such as how to address land and housing issues in the face of rapid urbanisation. Insufficient capacity for plan formulation and implementation and generally how to manage rapidly urbanising cities and towns. City planning departments confined to serving the interests of a diminishing formal city. strong anti-urbanization political sentiments resulting in a lack of support for developing functional networks of systems of cities and towns.

Urbanisation outside planning What should planning in Malawi be addressing? Is planning addressing the real issues facing Malawi? (the what) Are we using appropriate models to address these? (the how)