UGANDA, Masaka | Real Muloodi News | Stanfield Property Consultants, a private firm contracted to review the Masaka City Structural Plan, has begun engaging stakeholders including landlords, and cultural and religious leaders, to gather views on how they want the new city to be structured.
City authorities hired architectural consultants last year to evaluate the current structural plan and identify spaces and allotments for various land uses and services in all areas, as well as determine the desired city growth patterns.
The review also aims to incorporate all new areas annexed to the city in July 2020.
According to the team leader, Kenneth Atuhaire, their contributions will be included in the draft plan, which will be ready this month of May and presented to stakeholders for further discussion.
Atuhaire added that the new Masaka City structural plan aims to have a well-planned central business district with limited slum areas and specific land-use zones.
The consultants want to ensure there are clear residential areas that meet the demands of city dwellers and visitors.
Once the draft structural plan is ready, it will be presented to the National Planning Board for approval and gazetted before it is considered for use.
During the consultations, stakeholders raised concerns about corruption and politicking during the processes leading to the structural plan.
Jude Muleke, the Kabaka’s representative in Buddu County, urged city planners to avoid the challenges state above to ensure a well-guided structural plan.
Masaka Bishop Serverus Jjumba, represented by Fr John Marry Mukalazi, emphasised the need for an environment-friendly city that promotes and preserves cultural and religious sites while ensuring no one is left out because of their economic status.
Masaka City is one of the new regional cities that the government created in 2020. The city has a rich history, having been a township in 1953, a town council in 1958, and later elevated to a municipality in 1968.
As the city continues to grow and develop, there is a need for a well-guided structural plan that meets the needs of its residents and visitors.
The existing city structural plan covers the old municipality boundaries that occupied at least 46 square kilometres compared to over 100 square kilometres under the new city.
The outdated plan was designed in the 1950s and is no longer sufficient to guide the development of a modern city.
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