Planning the Sustainable City: a Political Ecology of Urban Growth in Zanzibar

Zanzibar is one of the smallest participants in the United Nations Sustainable Cities Program. As Zanzibar is a relatively compact urban area with just over 200 000 residents and without substantial industrial pollutants, the task of making it “sustainable” would appear at first pass to be fairly uncomplicated. Zanzibar benefits from a significant government commitment to environmental policy and planning. Yet the city’s growth and environmental fallout from it have outpaced the capacity of policy makers and planners. This paper presents findings from a decade of research on planning in Zanzibar. The author’s empirical focus is on one sphere where environmental sustainability and urban growth often clash: peri-urban land control. The sustainability of Africa’s urban future depends upon expanding economic growth in secondary cities like Zanzibar whilst at the same time strengthening environmental planning capacity. This case study provides a valuable lens onto the Sustainable Cities Program as a vehicle for articulating that balance between development and environment.