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Derailing the Colonial City
Gerezani
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Adjaye Associates

Dar es Salaam was built on the Swahili virtues of cosmopolitanism and cultural exchange. Its downtown contains of German and British colonialist styles, remnants of Indian vibrancy, and the neighborhood of Kariakoo, originally designated for black African residents by the colonial governments. Gerezani, the study site, is where all three converge. This rich mix of historical elements, combined with the growth of the city, creates a prime opportunity to develop a vibrant new urban center.

Gerezani is located at the junction of several ferry terminals, the up-country railway station, and future BRT lines. While these transport modes may help to bring people to the city center, moving around within the downtown remains a challenge. The areas that make up the study site are individually vibrant, but so poorly connected that they remain their own, isolated hubs. In addition, the area has virtually no parks or public squares. The one exception, Mnazi Mmoja Park, is closed off by a formidable fence. The waterfront is all but invisible, cut off by the railway and various port-related infrastructure.

Most people in Dar es Salaam rely on privately run minibuses called daladalas. Sidewalks are almost non-existent and frequently become homes for parked cars. With rising motorization, pedestrians and cyclists are forced to dodge cars.To begin to address this, the national government and the Dar es Salaam City Council have developed a major BRT project, complete with cycling and pedestrian facilities, scheduled to
open in 2012.

The images here seek to open up and activate Mnazi Mmoja thereby uniting the neighborhoods. Both areas are connected to a newly accessible waterfront via pedestrian promenades. The rail station has been relocated to better integrate with the new BRT terminal in Kariakoo, just outside the site, freeing land for a public square and cultural buildings. By de-railing the waterfront and making it a place for people, Dar es Salaam’s downtown can become a model for all African cities.

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