Windhoek's new urban structure plan has drawn mixed reactions, with critics warning about deep-rooted divides while the municipality insists it promotes inclusive growth.
City of Windhoek spokesperson Lydia Amutenya says the city recently launched the Windhoek Urban Structure Plan (Wusp) to address historical spatial disparities.
This is in response to Winfried Holze, a professional urban designer, architect and marble stone sculptor, who is accusing the council of wanting to turn the city into a "new and improved apartheid city" with the Wusp.
Holze in an opinion piece published in The Namibian in August says the overriding idea of the city planners is a citywide densification and intensification, concentrated exclusively around existing centres, nodes or "policy areas".
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"Should we go for 'policy areas' only and thereby keep the divided and fragmented city as proposed by the municipality, or should we concentrate on nodes and corridors, thereby creating a united, inclusive, sustainable and just new city?" he asks.
The new spatial development plan for Windhoek is currently open for public discussion and can be downloaded at www.windhoeksdf.com.
Holze says the city's infrastructure is old, overused and underfunded, and that the municipality has run out of money to restore the infrastructure, let alone expand it for the current and future increased demand.
Holze accuses the city's town planners of not being open to alternatives during public meetings, saying they are too certain their plan is the right solution.
"By refusing to look into the development of corridors, they have basically shot themselves and residents in the foot twice, and another N$5 million will have gone to waste again," he says.
Holze says densifying or intensifying development around existing centres or nodes only would not bridge divides.
Amutenya, however, says the new framework is designed to guide sustainable and inclusive urban growth.
She says the plan also seeks to address historical spatial disparities.
"The Wusp explicitly seeks to address historical spatial disparities by encouraging higher-density, mixed-use, and mixed-income developments across the city."
Amutenya says economic growth corridors remain part of the city's long-term vision.
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"It is evident that the Wusp aligns closely with national development priorities, including the recently released sixth National Development Plan, by designating industrial, logistics, and agri-based economic zones along strategic corridors, such as the Hosea Kutako axis and the corridor extending towards Okahandja," she says.
She says the plan was not designed for large developers.
"On the contrary, it is intended to unlock a wide range of opportunities for diverse housing typologies, small-scale and community-driven enterprises, and inclusive urban growth," she says.
Amutenya says the council remains committed to the upgrading of informal settlements through structured land servicing and the delivery of affordable housing.
"These efforts aim to address historical spatial inequities, improve living conditions, and ensure that all residents have access to basic services and dignified housing."
