EXPLORING POSSIBLE SPACES FOR RECREATION AND LEISURE UNPLANNED SETTLEMENTS EXPERIENCE FROM MANZESE INFORMAL SETTLEMENT-DAR ES SALAAM TANZANIA

Back to Page Authors: Edson Sanga

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Keywords: ordinary spaces, recreation, unplanned settlements, urban spaces, urban, recreational spaces

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Abstract: This paper stems to explore possible places used for recreation in unplanned settlements in order to avail knowledge on how to create and shape urban spaces essential for recreation and leisure. The context of unplanned settlements is spatially characterized compactness and congestions of buildings developed by residents without professional inputs. These characteristics surpass greenery landscapes such as parks and squares essential for health, happiness and wellbeing. The lack of recreational greenery landscape arises a question on how possible recreation can take place in the settlements. This study used qualitative methods, mainly observation and in-depth interview, to explore recreational situation in Manzese informal settlements as an instrumental case and found that ordinary spaces are re-configured into recreational spaces and used as ‘parks’ and ‘squares’ in the settlements. The spaces are diverse and complex as they possess different spatial characteristics based on their physical attributes, and the way they are used and interpreted by respective users. This paper argues that the re-configuration processes of ordinary spaces should not be taken for granted because they portray the appropriation of spaces from quotidian dimensions in particular context.

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