Can devolution and rural capacity trigger de-urbanization? Case studies in Kenya and Malaysia respectively

Abstract

Urbanization in Kenya and perhaps in subSaharan Africa can be described as prescriptive rather than organic. We posit that this prescriptive urbanization can be checked and balanced by employing the governance model of devolution and rural capacity. We first review competing views on urbanization in Kenya during the colonial and postcolonial era and its contribution to disenfranchising both urban and rural inhabitants. We then examine devolution in Kenya through the lens of Lefebvre's theory of production of space and the right to the city, enabling us to contextualize and redefine 'the right to the city'. In the second part we analyze the potential of rural capacity in Malaysia to absorb a large influx of return immigrants and demonstrates how they have adapted and benefited from the prosperity of land in the face of diminishing energy resources and de-industrialization. We conclude that coupling devolution with rural capacity may hold the key to check rapid urbanization, especially in Kenya.

Asymmetric relationship of urbanization and CO2 emissions in less developed countries

“…Periods of degrowth are also tied to factors that are unique to LDCs, such as those connected with the historical legacy of colonialism. For example, in Malaysia there has been a period of deurbanization due to the depletion of oil and gas reserves that were historically tied to its rapid urbanization [9]. Additionally, many individuals residing in urban areas in LDCs view their occupancy as temporary and maintain social ties with rural areas that, unlike in developed nations, are far less reliant on fossil fuels [39].…”

“…Here we refer to nations classified as “low and middle income” by the World Bank as LDCs and those classified as “high income” as developed countries. In many LDCs, more commonly than in developed countries, urban inhabitants frequently maintain social ties to rural regions and over time return to these areas [8,9], creating a circular pattern of urban to rural migration. During periods of industrial decline, the flow of migration from urban to rural areas increases, reducing CO 2 from industrial development.…”

Community Perceptions of Ecosystem Services and the Management of Mt. Marsabit Forest in Northern Kenya

“…This huge increase in population can be attributed on the one hand to new births being higher than deaths, and on the other hand to immigration from Ethiopia due to unrest. Devolution is another factor contributing to migration, as it incites Kenyans to migrate towards the counties [36]. The population increase is resulting in increased water and food demand, thus a need of land for agricultural expansion.…”

Contestations for urban space: informality and institutions of disenfranchisement in Zimbabwe—the case of Masvingo City

“…The urban poor have therefore been prevented from claiming their rights to the city because of these exclusionary instruments. These exclusion policies have prevented the urban poor from participating and appropriating city space, which is a violation of their rights to the city (Munya et al 2015). Regularising activities of the informal sector can go a long way in integrating the activities of the informal sector because it mainstreams them in the economy of the city and allow them to participate in the development of the city.…”

“…Regularising activities of the informal sector can go a long way in integrating the activities of the informal sector because it mainstreams them in the economy of the city and allow them to participate in the development of the city. Their participation should allow them to take part in decision making processes especially decisions that lead to production of urban spaces (Munya et al 2015). The call for regularisation of activities of the informal sector is in light of the contribution the informal sector is making to the economies of cities of the global South in general, and Masvingo in particular.…”