OROMIA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE

OROMIA URBAN PLANNING INSTITUTE

Meki Town, Structure Plan Revision Spatial Study Report

Finfinnee,
Oromia
July 2023

By:Lencho Hirpa
Table of Contents
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................. iii
List of Maps .................................................................................................................................................... iii
List of Tables .................................................................................................................................................. iv
CHAPTER ONE ..................................................................................................................................................1
1.1. Introduction ..............................................................................................................................................1
1.2. Statement of the Problem .........................................................................................................................3
1.3. Objective...................................................................................................................................................3
1.3.1. General objective ...............................................................................................................................3
1.3.2. Specific Objectives ............................................................................................................................3
1.4. Scope of Study..........................................................................................................................................4
CHAPTER TWO .................................................................................................................................................6
2. Review Literature ............................................................................................................................................6
2.1. Spatial Planning ........................................................................................................................................6
2.2. Planning Theories .....................................................................................................................................7
2.2.1. Traditional Planning Theories ............................................................................................................7
2.3. Urban Structure ........................................................................................................................................9
2.4. Evolution of Urban Planning ....................................................................................................................9
2.5. Urbanization .......................................................................................................................................... 10
2.5.1. Forms of Urbanization .................................................................................................................... 11
2.6. Land use Planning ................................................................................................................................. 11
2.6.1. Five Sustainable Urban Planning Principles ................................................................................... 14
CHAPTER THREE............................................................................................................................................18
3. Detail Existing Land Use Analysis ...............................................................................................................18
3.1. Road Network, Transportation .............................................................................................................. 19
3.2. Residential ............................................................................................................................................. 20
3.3. Commerce, Business and Trade ............................................................................................................ 21
3.4. Administration ....................................................................................................................................... 22
There are different existing administrative offices, Government and Non-Government institutions
occupying larger areas located along the collector roads. ......................................................................... 22
3.5. Services ................................................................................................................................................. 23
3.6. Recreational and Environmental ........................................................................................................... 24
3.7. Manufacturing and Storage ................................................................................................................... 25

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 3.8. Conclusion of Existing Land Use Analysis ........................................................................................... 26
CHAPTER FOUR ..............................................................................................................................................28
4. Vision, Concept, Proposal and Implementation Strategy ..............................................................................28
4.1. Vision of Meki town .............................................................................................................................. 28
4.2. Conceptual Development ...................................................................................................................... 28
4.3. Proposed land use and Land Budgeting ................................................................................................ 29
4.3.1. Mixed and Residence ...................................................................................................................... 30
4.3.2. Commerce, Business and trade ....................................................................................................... 33
4.3.3. Administration ................................................................................................................................ 36
4.3.4. Social Service.................................................................................................................................. 37
4.3.5. Municipal Services.......................................................................................................................... 40
4.3.6. Recreational and Environmental Sensitive Areas ........................................................................... 41
4.3.7. Urban Agriculture ........................................................................................................................... 42
4.3.8. Manufacture & Storage ................................................................................................................... 42
4.3.9. Road Network, Transportation & Utilities ...................................................................................... 43
4.4. Conclusion of the proposed Land Use of the town................................................................................ 45
CHAPTER FIVE................................................................................................................................................48
5. Implementation Strategies of the Proposed Land Use of the town Structure Plan .......................................48
5.1. Purpose of the Implementation Strategy ............................................................................................... 48
5.2. Development of implementation tools .................................................................................................. 49
5.2.1. Institutional set up ........................................................................................................................... 49
5.2.2. Legal Institutional Setup for Implementation ................................................................................. 50
5.3. Guiding Principles for Plan Implementation ......................................................................................... 50
1. Major Contents of Land use Categories and Prohibited uses ......................................................... 53
3. Standard of Markets for Commercial and Trade Activities ............................................................... 55

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List of Figures
Figure 1.1: Data and Analysis Methods ................................................................................................................ 4

List of Maps
Map 1: Morphology of Meki Town ...................................................................................................... 19
Map 2: Meki Town Existing Residential Map ...................................................................................... 21
Map 3: Meki Town Existing Commerce and Business Map ................................................................ 22
Map 4: Meki Town Existing Administrative Land use Map ................................................................ 23
Map 5: Meki Town Existing Service Map ............................................................................................ 24
Map 6: Meki Town Existing Recreational Environmental Map ........................................................... 25
Map 7:Meki Town Existing Manufacturing and Storage Map ............................................................. 26
Map 8: Conceptual Map........................................................................................................................ 29
Map 9: Meki Town Proposed Mixed and Residential Map .................................................................. 32
Map 10: Meki Town Proposed Commerce and Business Map............................................................. 34
Map 11: Meki Town Proposed Administration Map ............................................................................ 37
Map 12: Meki Town Proposed Service Map ........................................................................................ 39
Map 13: Meki Town Proposed Recreational and Environmental Map ................................................ 41
Map 14: Meki Town Proposed Urban Agriculture Map ....................................................................... 42
Map 15: Meki Town Proposed Manufacture and Storage Map ............................................................ 43
Map 16: Meki Town Proposed Transportation Map............................................................................. 45
Map 17: Meki Town Proposed General Land Use Map ....................................................................... 47

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List of Tables
Table 1: Existing land use area summary ........................................................................................................... 26
Table 2: Existing Land Use and Standard ........................................................................................................... 30
Table 3: Existing Land Use Area Summary ....................................................................................................... 47
Table 4 Major Contents of Land use Categories and Prohibited uses ................................................................ 53
Table 5: standard for size determination land use ............................................................................................... 55
Table 6: Standard for Education service ............................................................................................................. 57
Table 7: Standard for Health Institutions ............................................................................................................ 58
Table 8: Standards and Norms for Football Fields ............................................................................................. 60
Table 9: Level of Services, Requirement, and Location of Local Administration ............................................. 61
Table 10: Standards for Manufacturing Activities / Industry ............................................................................. 62
Table 11: Standard for Warehouses .................................................................................................................... 63

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 CHAPTER ONE
1.1. Introduction
Urbanization is a global phenomenon that is transforming human settlements. The shift from
primarily rural to more urban societies is evident through the transformation of places, populations,
economies, and the built environment. In each of these dimensions, urbanization is unprecedented for
its speed and scale: massive urbanization is a megatrend of the 21st century. With disorienting speed,
villages and towns are being absorbed by, or coalescing into, larger urban conurbations and
agglomerations.

Peri-urban areas, where there is a rising demand of land for non-agricultural or urban land uses and
located at the receiving end of urbanization, form tenure hotspots. It is increasingly evident that peri-
urban areas are now becoming places where a lot of changes and activities are taking place due to
rapid urbanization and population growth (Wehrmann, 2008, Cotula and Neve, 2007). Rapid
urbanization has been the main theme of urban studies in developing countries since the explosion of
rates of growth in the 1960's and 1970's in very large cities (Barros, 2004).

Urban Planning: „It is the design and regulation of the uses of space that focus on the physical form,
economic functions, and social impacts of the urban environment and on the location of different
activities within it. Because urban planning draws upon engineering, architectural, and social and
political concerns, it is variously a technical profession, an endeavor involving political will and
public participation, and an academic discipline. Urban planning concerns itself with both the
development of open land (greenfield sites) and the revitalization of existing parts of the city, thereby
involving goal setting, data collection and analysis, forecasting, design, strategic thinking, and public
consultation.‟ Britannica Encyclopedia

(Source: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/619445/urban-planning).

Urban planning is a discipline of land-use organization that considers the physical, spatial,
infrastructural, environmental, and socio-economic and governance issues of an urban center. It is an
important development and management tool because it helps: make urban centers conducive living
and working spaces; use scarce resources efficiently; consider environmental issues; evenly distribute
urban services and facilities; tackle socio-economic issues; promote balanced and healthy urban
development; and ensure the essence of good governance.
Urban planning is also popularly known as Town Planning. It encompasses many different
disciplines attempts to accomplish sustainable, user-friendly, economic and social organization of all
elements of a town, city or any other urban environment. It has to take care of the residents‟ housing,
employment, recreation, trade and business, sanitation, mobility and communication besides
preserving the natural and built heritage of the place.

Urban planning is a technical and political process concerned with the development and design of
land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of
urban areas, such as transportation, communications, and distribution networks. Urban planning is a
valuable force for urban leaders to achieve sustainable development. It is a means to bring about a
difference; Planning helps make the most out of municipal budgets by informing infrastructure and
services investments, balancing demands for growth with the need to protect the environment.

Urban development enables human communities to expand the amount of space available to them
even as the surface of planet Earth appears to be more finite than ever. Future urban planning must
address the factors shaping twenty-first century cities, including: firstly, the environmental challenges
of climate change and cities‟ excessive dependence on fossil fuel driven cars; secondly, the
demographic challenges of rapid urbanization, shrinking cities, ageing and increasing multicultural
composition of cities; thirdly, the economic challenges of uncertain future growth and fundamental
doubts about market-led approaches that the current global financial crisis have engendered, as well
as increasing informality in urban activities; increasing socio-spatial challenges, especially social and
spatial inequalities, urban sprawl, unplanned per-urbanization and the increasing spatial scale of
cities; and finally, institutional challenges related to governance and changing roles of local
government.

Urban planning is an activity carried out to guide socioeconomic and spatial developments of a
planning area. In principle a planning task takes as its prime goal the objective of the people who
inhabit the area that is being planned. However, due to the longevity and spatial dispersion of effects
of plans, planners should consider the interests of various stakeholders (both current and future) over
an area greater than the jurisdiction of a single urban area.

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Urban planning can and should play a significant role in overcoming governance fragmentation in
public policy formulation and decision-making, since most national and local development policies
and related investments have a spatial dimension.

Urban planning seeks to be efficient (make optimal use of resources), effective (create, desired and
meaningful impacts and outcomes), and also seeks to enhance equity (of opportunity, rights and
power, especially with regard to gender). To achieve these „3Es‟ of good planning practice, decision-
makers need a solid foundation of information and direction that can be provided by urban planning.

1.2. Statement of the Problem

According to urban planning and implementation manual, conditions that force plan revision include
the following: -

When space reserve for the different land uses is exhausted,

When the local economic base of an urban area changes there by requiring different
institutions and land use changes,
When change of technology is radical and accommodating the changes within the existing
plan is difficult or impossible,
When the planning period of the town structure plan has been completed,
When the above points are viewed as per the current context of Maqi town Structure Plan, some
issues have been identified while conducting situational analysis by the initiator. Therefore, revision
and preparation of the structure plan of the town is based on the following basic facts.

The planning period of the town structure plan has been completed,
To deal with the new technology that is being introduced,
To accommodate the new urban development policy directions,
To fill the land use gaps those has been observed and, make it relevant to the present day
needs as well as the future

1.3. Objective

1.3.1. General objective

The General objective of the study is to Revise Structure plan of Meki town.

1.3.2. Specific Objectives

 Conduct the existing situational analysis (street network and land use analysis),
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  Identify major physical and environmental constraints that affects Meki town, (prioritizing
problems and give solution)
 Evaluate the previous Structural plans of the town,
 Assess urban planning best practices that suites the town under consideration,
 Develop vision, concept, and strategy
 Provide planning solution based on the findings (Propose Street network and land use).

1.4. Scope of Study

Spatial Scope
Enclosed all the existing built-up area of the town and the newly added area within 3282.09 hectares.
Thematic Scope
Thematically it includes all spatial aspects: -

 Analysis of existing road network and existing land use distribution and their compatibility
 Analysis of distribution of existing social service Administration and other general land use.
 Propose road network according to their hierarchy
 Propose Land use according to input from study and standard
 Propose Social Service and environmental and recreational area.
1.5. Methods and Materials

Figure 1.1: Data and Analysis Methods

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Main Findings of the existing streets network and land uses

The main findings of the existing Transport and streets networks are: -

Streets Widths are below standard

Streets are not in hierarchical arrangement
No Freight Terminal (Heavy Tracks are parking, loading and unloading on main road)
Streets lack road facilities such as vehicles parking
No clearly defined main center and sub center
Streets congestion by Vehicles, Motorcycles, Carts & Pedestrians
Structural development on river bank (avoided buffer zone).
Incompatibility of land uses (e.g., Slaughter house with residential area).

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 CHAPTER TWO

2. Review Literature
It is relevant to differentiate between the three distinct but related concepts of structure plan, city or
town structure and urban growth. The Structure Plan is a binding technical, institutional and policy
framework for guiding the long-term social, economic, environmental and spatial development of the
city or town and its surrounding. The Structure Plan has location-specific standards to guide future
planning and implementation, and ordinances to safeguard its implementation. Together with
important documents describing contexts and proposals, the Structure Plan clearly indicates the
required institutions to lead planning and implementation.

City Structure is the collective name given to major determinants of the spatial frame that are
essentially the backbone (streets, centers, green and main transport axis) of a city or town. They are
major structuring elements influencing the spatial growth as well as movement of people. History
tells us that there are two approaches of urban spatial structure formation. The movement and
interaction of people was the major structuring factor of old towns. On the other hand, it is nowadays
believed that urban centers themselves are being shaped by planners who guide the form of
movement and interaction of people. Facts show that the rebuilding of cities is a continuous process;
new urban (economic, social and political) phenomena affect the formation of city structure.

2.1. Spatial Planning

Spatial planning is largely a public sector function to influence the future spatial distribution of
activities. It aims to create a more rational territorial organization of land uses and the linkages
between them, to balance demands for development with the need to protect the environment, and to
achieve social and economic objectives. Spatial planning tries to coordinate and improve the impacts
of other sectorial policies on land use, in order to achieve a more even distribution of economic
development within a given territory than would otherwise be created by market forces. Separate
professional disciplines which involve spatial planning include land use, urban / urban renewal,
regional, transportation, economic and community planning. Spatial planning takes place on local,
regional, national and inter-national levels and often results in the creation expansion of a spatial
plan.

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2.2. Planning Theories

2.2.1. Traditional Planning Theories

Planning efforts in the field rarely make obvious reference to philosophical synthesis or
organizational development theory, nor are much attention given to lessons of historical experience
based on case studies of past planning efforts. Planning theory has long been at tension over its
normative versus descriptive or predictive nature.

The most important of these other traditions include incremental planning, transactive planning,
advocacy planning, and radical planning. These by no means exhaust the range of contemporary
planning traditions, but they cover enough ground to illustrate the major developments in planning
theory and practice since roughly 1960, developments which have grown up in response to
recognized deficiencies in the synoptic approach.

2.2.1.1. Synoptic Planning

Predominant concern has generally centered on the tradition of rational comprehensive planning, also
known as the synoptic tradition. The synoptic approach has dominated both American planning
practice and the planning of development assistance programs overseas. . Synoptic planning typically
looks at problems from a systems viewpoint, using conceptual or mathematical models relating ends
(objectives) to means (resources and constraints) with heavy reliance on numbers and quantitative
analysis. Synoptic planning has roughly four classical elements:

Goal-setting, Evaluation of means against ends, and

Identification of policy alternatives, Implementation of policy.

2.2.1.2. Incremental Planning

Incremental planning came up as a response to the synoptic planning approach that has been
criticized for its bias toward central control-in the definition of problems and solutions, in the
evaluation of alternatives, and in the implementation of decisions. Incremental planning adheres more
closely to the economic logic of individuals pursuing their own self-interest. Incremental lists also
take issue with the synoptic tradition of expressing social values (a priori goal-setting; artificial
separation of ends from means; presumption of a general public interest rather than pluralist
interests).

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2.2.1.3. Advocacy Planning
The most influential of the 1960s challenges to rational planning came from a Hunter College
professor who had worked with poor communities in Philadelphia and New York and believed in
their lack of representation in the planning process.

Paul Davidoff‟s (1965) article, “Advocacy and Pluralism in Planning,” resonated with the frustration
of many planners in their inability to meaningfully address the social and economic issues tearing at
the fabric of American cities. Davidoff called for the distribution of planning services into low-
income, minority neighborhoods through a cadre of advocate planners who would be physically
located in neighborhoods and would represent the interests of neighborhood residents in city-level
planning processes.

2.2.1.4. Radical Planning

The criticisms of advocacy led to a wave of radical approaches to planning for the under privileged.
Stephen Grabow and Alan Heskin‟s (1973) wrote in the “Foundations for a Radical Concept of
Planning,” on the inabilities of the current planning framework to respond to the needs of the poor.
They called for a systemic change including decentralization, ecological attentiveness, spontaneity,
and experimentation.

2.2.1.5. Urban Regime Theory

Urban regime theory came to prominence with the publication of Clarence Stone‟s study of Atlanta in
1989, although earlier work by Feinstein (1983) and Elkin (1987) has also been influential. The urban
regime theory holds that in certain places, community leadership has a certain framework, or regime,
for examining issues. Individuals or interest groups that argue from outside that regime will find it
very difficult or even impossible to win decisions.

2.2.1.6. Transactive Planning

The transactive planning approach focuses on the intact experience of people‟s lives revealing policy
issues to be addressed. Planning is not carried out with respect to an anonymous target community of
beneficiaries, but in face-to-face contact with the people affected by decisions.

Planning consists less of field surveys and data analyses, and more of interpersonal dialogue marked
by a process of mutual learning transactive planning also refers to the evolution of decentralized

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planning institutions that help people take increasing control over the social processes that govern
their welfare.

2.3. Urban Structure

The overall framework of a region, town or precinct, showing relationships between zones of built
forms, land forms, natural environments, activities and open spaces. It encompasses broader systems
including transport and infrastructure networks.

2.4. Evolution of Urban Planning

The first towns were human settlements that were established when human society evolved from
hunting-gathering to an agricultural one. Agriculture as an occupation required settling close to water
sources that are needed for irrigation. Thus, ancient civilizations were cities and settlements on
riverbanks such as Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa (Indus Valley); Egypt (Nile), Mesopotamia (Tigris
and Euphrates) going back to the Bronze Age i.e., 3000 BC – 150 BC. As society became more
complex, cities started being planned on the basis of societal and religious hierarchies. The great
cities of Rome, Athens etc. all had hierarchical planning where the most important structures (public
or religious) occupied the center and all other functions of the town were planned concentrically or
radially around this structure with their importance decreasing as their distance increased from the
center. In the 16th-17thcentury, land occupation by communities or tribes for settlement became the
primary objective and thus cities started being planned as citadels, fortifications or within walled
enclosures. With increased globalization, sea-travel and trade in the 18th century, market towns and
ports gained huge importance as centers of trade across the globe. In fact, the most powerful countries
were those with mighty naval fleets and prosperous port cities as capitals.

Urban Planning metamorphosed into its modern form owing to the Industrial Revolution, with the
advent of machines, new construction technology and cars. The Scale of a town underwent
tremendous expansion in terms of having wider roads, taller buildings, spread out cities due to
extensive railroad networks, huge industries etc.

Planning gained popularity in the mid-to-late 19th century, when it became obvious that there should
be some kind of plan or larger goals for the growth of big cities like New York, London, and Paris
etc.

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2.5. Urbanization
Urbanization refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, "the gradual increase in the
proportion of people living in urban areas", and the ways in which each society adapts to the change.

More than half the population of the world is now urban and the numbers are increasing at a swift
pace. Here, it becomes important to know how a population is classified as being „urban‟, as opposed
to being rural or tribal or any other type. The simplest definition of an urban population is that of a
population residing in towns and cities.

The concrete technical aspects defining „urban‟ are: -

Population size
Population density
Economic base
Presence of a municipal body
Urbanization is the steady increase in the number of people living in cities or urban centers. These
occurrences result from the continuous mass movement of people from the villages or rural
settlements to cities or urban areas. It can also result from natural increase (the excess of births over
deaths) especially where this population increase take place in areas where advance technology and
developmental projects are present.

According to UN population projection (2012), the urbanization rate of Ethiopia is 3.6%. With this
pace, the level of urbanization will only be 36% in 2050. The spatial distribution of urban centers is
unbalanced, and there is a large disparity between the levels of urbanization among the various
regions. Urban Personality and collective behavior it is largely through the activities of the voluntary
groups be their objectives economic, political, educational, religious, recreational, or cultural, that the
urbanite expresses and develops his personality, acquires status, and is able to carry on the round of
activities that constitute his life career. In 2008, for the first time, half the world‟s population was
living in towns and cities. By 2030, the urban population will reach 5 billion i.e., 60 per cent of the
world‟s population. Nearly all population growth will be in the cities of developing countries, whose
population will double to nearly 4 billion by 2030 about the size of the developing world‟s total
population in 1990. (Source: World Urbanization Prospects: the 2005 Revision UNDP).

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2.5.1. Forms of Urbanization

Different forms of urbanization can be classified depending on the style of architecture and planning
methods as well as historic growth of areas.

In cities of the developed world urbanization traditionally exhibited a concentration of human

activities and settlements around the downtown area, the so-called in-migration. This has been
possible because of improved communications, and has been caused by factors such as the fear of
crime and poor urban environments. When the residential area shifts outward, this is called
suburbanization.

2.6. Land use Planning

Urban land use planning is an important component of urban planning that guides the location of
human activities in urban centers (MUDC, 2011b). The purpose of land use planning is having
effective spatial structure supporting economic and social development with the objective of „a place
for each activity and each activity in the right place.‟ The major urban activities being residence,
work, leisure and movement among these activities.

The right place being the place with the necessary infrastructures, location, physical and
environmental qualities and segregation of incompatible land uses whereas proportional mix of
compatible land uses. Selection of the right place is subjective and it needs the government
intervention in the form of planning to avoid the conflict between individual decision and collective
community action (Turkstra, 2006).

There are four major competing land use values important in land use planning. These are: economic
development values, environmental protection values, equity values and livability values. Land use
plans prepared by the active participation of stakeholders with different values of land use brings
these competing values into collaboration using their interdependence and regulations (Brke,
Godschalk, and Kaiser, 2006). The location of urban activities and the interaction among them forms
the spatial structure of urban centers (Turkstra, 2006). Generally, there are four considered spatial
structures formed by such interactions among land uses. These are: conventional low-density
development, smart growth, new urbanism and sustainable development. These days the last three has
gained more acceptance (Brke, Godschalk and Kaiser, 2006).

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Land use planning is a tool to support the orderly occupation and use of land and to avoid adverse
developments. It primarily relies on an evaluation of the land potential and on the alternative patterns
of its use - including the physical, social and economic conditions which affect that use - for the
purpose of selecting the most appropriate use. Its main aim is to select and choose the option(s) which
meet(s) best the needs, and to draw up a policy for its sustained use. Land use planning does not stand
on its own, but constitutes an intermediate step between land evaluation and land management. While
land evaluation primarily identifies and rates the land potential and recommends alternative use
scenarios, land UNESCO – EOLSS SAMPLE CHAPTERS LAND USE, LAND COVER AND SOIL
SCIENCES – Vol Willy H. Varghese ©Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS) use planning
focuses more on effective

It is a decision-making process that "facilitates the allocation of land to the uses that provide the
greatest sustainable benefits" Land use planning should be based on the following principles

 Land use planning is a cross-sectorial and integrative decision-making process that facilitates
the allocation of land to the uses that give the greatest sustainable benefit (Haub, 2009).
 Urban land use is the spatial distribution or geographical pattern of urban land use functions,
which includes residential, administration, commercial, services, transportation and
communication, industrial, recreation and formal-green, forest and informal green, urban
agriculture and special or other functions.
 In Ethiopia the present land use pattern is the result of three factors, namely climate,
topography and population size distribution and cultural orientation and practices (UNDP,
FAO 1989).

1. Land use planning aims at sustainability balancing social, economic and environ- mental
needs;
2. Land use planning results in a legally binding land use plan and/or legally binding land use
rules. Formal recognition of the land use plan or land use rules is crucial for its
implementation.
3. Land use planning is integrated into state institutions having the official mandate for
intersectoral planning. This can be realized in different ways. The planning can be initiated
and facilitated by a local administrative body.

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4. Land use planning is an all-inclusive process. This requires that all stakeholder groups are
represented: local direct and indirect users, public authorities, private.
5. Land use planning is based on stakeholder differentiation and gender sensitivity. To identify
all relevant stakeholders, a gender differentiated analysis of all actors should be done in
advance.
6. Land use planning promotes civic engagement. The population should actively participate in
the land use planning.
7. Land use planning is realistic and oriented to local conditions. Not only has the content of a
land use planning to be adapted to local conditions.
8. Land use planning is based on a “light” methodology avoiding unnecessary data collection
resulting in “data graveyards”
9. Land use planning in terms of methodology and content differs e.g., in scale, specificity, form
of participation (direct vs. indirect), and technology at village, municipal and regional level;
10. Land use planning considers and valorizes local knowledge. Rural societies or groups often
possess a complex autochthonous knowledge of their natural environment.
11. Land use planning considers and valorizes local knowledge. Rural societies or groups often
possess a complex autochthonous knowledge of their natural environment.
12. Land use planning takes into account traditional strategies for solving problems and conflicts.
Traditional rural societies have their own way of approaching problems and settling conflicts
concerning land use.
13. Land use planning follows the idea of subsidiarity, i.e. all functions from planning to decision-
making, implementation and monitoring are assigned to the lowest appropriate level of
government in order to be responsive to the needs of citizens and to ensure effective control
from below;
14. Land use planning integrates bottom-up aspects with top-down aspects (“vertical
integration”). Land use planning needs to combine local needs and interests with provisions
made by higher levels.
15. Land use planning is based on inter-disciplinary cooperation and requires sector coordination
(“horizontal integration”). The diverse functions and (potential) uses of land make it necessary
to apply an interdisciplinary approach involving all sectors that have a stake in that area.

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 16. Land use planning is a process leading to an improvement in the capacity of stakeholders. The
participatory methods used in all steps of land use planning promote the technical and
organizational capabilities of all participants, thereby improving their capacity to plan and act.
17. Land use planning requires transparency. If there is no transparency on decisions about future
land uses, risks are high that some people will be deprived of their rights and/or that future
land use will not be sustainable;
18. Land use planning is future-oriented (“visionary”). Land use planning is not only about
mapping the current land uses or land covers. Land use planning determines how the land will
be used in the future.
19. Land use planning is an iterative process. Land use planning is more than the preparation of a
planning document; it is an iterative process. Iteration is both the principle and the method.
20. Land use planning is implementation oriented. Land use planning has to consider how the
negotiated decisions and the solutions identified are to be implemented.
21. Land use planning is linked to financial planning. This is crucial for implementation. Land use
planning needs to be aware of the designated uses of sector budgets as well as of the financial
planning cycles of the relevant sector ministries (including their deadlines).
22. Land use planning relates to spaces and places (“spatial orientation”). In most countries many
forms of planning and quite a number of plans exist. What most of them are lacking is the
relation to space.

2.6.1. Five Sustainable Urban Planning Principles

Adequate space for streets and an efficient street network
The street is a structural element that shapes urban form and determines the pattern of development of
blocks, streets, buildings, open spaces and landscape. Sufficient space allocated to streets contributes
to improved connectivity, which fosters economic development. As an indicator, in developing
countries land allocated to streets is low, varying between 6-12%, compared to cities in developed
countries where it averages 29%. As connectivity increases, travel distances decrease and route
options and travel modes increase, allowing more direct travel between destinations, creating a more
accessible and resilient system. This principle proposes a grid and a hierarchy of streets with arterial
and secondary roads that are well connected through intersections.

Mixed land use and limited land-use specialization 26932551

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Mixed-use development is aimed at developing a range of compatible land uses and functions and
provides a cross section of residential, commercial and community infrastructure in a building, block
or neighborhood while reducing the demand for commuter travel by reducing the distances between
the vertices of the so-called „home-work-services‟ triangle, and facilitating agglomeration economies.

Social mix
This principle aims at promoting cohesion and interaction between different social classes in the same
community and to ensure accessibility to equitable urban opportunities by providing different types of
housing. Social mix provides the basis for healthy social networks, which are the driving force of city
life.

Adequate and well-designed density

By creating high-density areas, cities can accommodate population growth and ensure land is used in
accordance with demand. Furthermore, a planned densification strategy significantly minimizes the
cost of providing key urban services such as urban infrastructure.

Connectivity
Strengthens the physical, social and virtual relationship between people, places and goods. At
regional level, connectivity links centers of production and consumption with the view of
strengthening systems of cities and urban-rural linkages. At city level, connectivity is closely related
to mobility and the permeability of an area.

Regulation.
The proclamation, i.e. “A Proclamation to Provide for Urban Plans (Proclamation No. 574/ 2008)” is
declared in response to the need to regulate and guide urban centers by sound and visionary urban
plans to bring about balanced and integrated national, regional and local development; to create a
favorable and an enabling condition for public and private stakeholders to fully participate in the
process of urban plan initiation, preparation and implementation on the basis of national standards; to
regulate the carrying out of development undertakings in urban centers without detrimental effects to
the general well-being of the community as well as the protection of natural environment; and to
replace existing urban planning laws with a comprehensive legislation which takes into account the
federal structure of government and the central role of urban centers in urban plan preparation and
implementation.

15
Structure Plan (SP) is defined as a legally binding urban plan that consists of graphic documents
along with explanatory texts formulated and drawn at a level of an entire urban boundary of a given
urban center.

A structure plan shall be prepared for urban centers having population number more than 100,000 and
it shall have the following components: balanced social, economic, physical and environmental
growth; linkage of the urban center with its nearby rural hinterlands and other urban centers;
magnitude and growth direction of the urban center; d) principal land use functions; roads and other
infrastructural networks; institutional setup, budget and the implementation scheme have documents
supported by maps and text reports.

During the preparation of structure plan, as a showcase, at least two neighborhood development plans
shall be prepared in two sections of the urban center.

Any structure plan shall be valid for a period of 10 years from the date of its approval.

Structure plan manuals explains that there are three procedural stages namely: -

1. Preparation stage: Identification of Problems and justification to different stakeholder on

why it is important task to undertake.
2. Planning stage: plan preparation is undertaken ranging from base map preparation or
updating to plan approval and publicity.
3. Implementation, monitoring and evaluation stage: Implementation of the plan
within the given Time (10 Year). M&E a process of follow up and evaluation to be
undertaken throughout the planning period.
Any structure plan shall indicate mainly the following: -

a) The magnitude and direction of growth of the urban center;

b) Principal land use classes;

c) Housing development;

d) The layout and organization of major physical and social infrastructure;

16
e) Urban redevelopment intervention areas of the urban center;

f) Environmental aspects;

g) Industry zone

Framework of Hierarchy of plans in Ethiopian Urban Planning System Currently efforts are
underway to create awareness among the wider public, the various stakeholders and professionals in
Urban Plan Preparation and Implementation Strategy so as to create common understanding on urban
development issues

Land use planning is a tool to support the orderly occupation and use of land and to avoid adverse
developments. It primarily relies on an evaluation of the land potential and on the alternative patterns
of its use - including the physical, social and economic conditions which affect that use - for the
purpose of selecting the most appropriate use. Its main aim is to select and choose the option(s) which
meet(s) best the needs, and to draw up a policy for its sustained use. Land use planning does not stand
on its own, but constitutes an intermediate step between land evaluation and land management. While
land evaluation primarily identifies and rates the land potential and recommends alternative use
scenarios, land UNESCO – EOLSS SAMPLE CHAPTERS LAND USE, LAND COVER AND SOIL
SCIENCES – Vol Willy H. Varghese ©Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS) use planning
focuses more on effective choices, with the basic information at hand amongst the options provided
by the land evaluation process.

17
 CHAPTER THREE

3. Detail Existing Land Use Analysis

The existing land use of the town could be studied by dividing the town into three distinct areas.
These are: the commercial uses dominating the core areas, mixed use characteristics of the
intermediate areas and residential areas characterizing expansion areas that were built recently.

The residential settlements are not well defined, irregular streets, dilapidated and deteriorated
building setbacks.

The intermediate areas consist of different types of land uses such as, old residential houses and other
used for various urban functions. Large establishments were also found in these areas and periphery
areas of the town are dominated with residential use. The boundary of the town is marked by the
existing streams at the west and northern part of the town is marked by existence of rolling
topography. The existing land use of the town are taken in detail the above attributes to have a grass
root understanding of the existing spatial configuration of the town which will be treated under
different spatial components.

The main purposes of studying the existing land use are: -

 To study the short comings of the previous development Plan, and adopt the lessons learnt in
terms of land use to the current revision process.
 To study the existing land use of the town to identify the main problems and constraints
 To identify the existing key environmental problems, their future trends and implications
 To propose sustainable solutions for a healthy urban environment and balanced ecology and
proper implementation mechanisms that promote environmental protection.
 Identification of the impacts and their implications
 Based on detail investigation of existing problems of social and municipal services address the
problems and recommend sites for future requirement.
 Analysis of land use share /distribution in hectare and percent to compare with standard
 Based on these, conclusions and recommendations for all types of land uses were done.

Urban morphology is the study of urban forms and of the agents and processes responsible for their
transformation over time. Urban form refers to the main physical elements that structure and shapes

18
the city including streets, squares (the public space), street blocks, plots, and buildings, to name the
most important. Determinants of urban form can be determinate by natural force (Topography, Water
resource, Climate, Available construction materials) and manmade Force (Transport terminals,
Economic, Social, Religion and political Organization).

No natural force (topography) challenge in Maqi town but in case the development follows road
network have Characterized related to Linear development which very dangerous for distribution of
social services.

Map 1: Morphology of Meki Town

3.1. Road Network, Transportation

A Street is the basic unit of urban space through which people experience a city. It is often
misconceived as the two-dimensional surface that vehicles drive on when moving from one place to
19
another. Streets are, in fact, multidimensional spaces consisting of many surfaces and structures. They
stretch from one property line to another, including the building edges, land uses, and setbacks that
define each side. They offer space for movement and access and facilitate a variety of uses and
activities. Streets are dynamic spaces that adapt over time to support environmental sustainability,
public health, economic activity, and cultural significance.

There are three levels of access controls: -

1. Full access control- except providing access connections with public roads, authority to access
control is given to through traffic

2. Partial access control- provides private access connection in addition to the public ones

3. Unrestricted access control- preference is given to local traffic.

Basically, all areas of the town are not provided with adequate and reliable road network facilities.
That means the existing road network amenities are not enough to satisfy the need of the residents
and could not expect to bring necessary development in its present situation.

3.2. Residential
The standard percentage share for housing (residence) of the respective structure plan land use for
small and medium towns is from (20 - 24) %. The existing pure residence and mixed use occupies
862.72 hectares that is 26.32% out of the total land use.

Many of the housing land use, there are squatter settlement areas that have been observed at the
periphery of the town which is characterized by scattered housing units, inaccessibility and lack of
open spaces. Furthermore, some incompatible land uses have been identified while updating the
existing land uses of the town (Slaughter house within Residential). In addition, some residential
areas which are developed at the environmental sensitive areas like gorges, inadequate residential
social service, inadequate Play Ground and inadequate social services and inaccessibility. Therefore,
it is vital to take in to consideration the issues discussed here while proposing the general land uses
for the revision of the structure plan of the town. Most residential structures in the town are G+0,
which is dominantly built from wooden and mud construction materials with unorganized pattern
according to their location importance that need planning intervention.

20
Map 2: Meki Town Existing Residential Map
Source: Computed from the existing land use of the town

3.3. Commerce, Business and Trade

This is another type the general existing land use category of the city that has been observed so far.
The standard percentage share for businesses /commercial centers and market places of the respective
structure plan land use for small and medium towns is from 5-10 %. The existing commercial
activities cover an area of 71.60 hectares that is 2.18 % out of the existing land use; hence this
commercial percentage share is optimum as compared to the standard.

General Market

The existing General Market has an area of 3.05 hectare which is located at the center of town of and
has good accessibility for communities which come from different area.

21
Cattle Market

The existing cattle market covers 4.54 hectares area is accessible, keeps cattle flow direction and also
compatible.

Map 3: Meki Town Existing Commerce and Business Map

3.4. Administration

There are different existing administrative offices, Government and Non-Government institutions
occupying larger areas located along the collector roads.
There are different existing administrative offices covering an area of 8.62 hectares that is 0.26 % out
of the existing land use.

22
Map 4: Meki Town Existing Administrative Land Use Map

3.5. Services
1. Social Service

This sector includes numerous Civic Cultural Welfare, Education, Health Municipal Services,
religious institutions Cemeteries and Utility Services Infrastructure that are established at different
levels in different places of urban areas to provide residents and non-residents with the necessary
services.

23
Map 5: Meki Town Existing Service Map
A. Education: There are educational institutions (12 kindergartens, 8 primary schools, 2 high school
and preparatory school within one compound and 1 TEVT College (under construction) in the town.

B. Health: Regarding health services, there are 2 health centers, but no hospital in the town.

C. Municipal services: The existing Abattoir is located in 02 kebele and has 0.29-hectare area that is
below standard; hence the standard for small abattoir is 1-1.5 hectare.

3.6. Recreational and Environmental

Environment is one of the existing land use categories identified so far which cover about 79.47 % of
the total existing land use. Green area (Buffer, Road side green, and nursery) is the dominant land use
category concerning its coverage. As compared to the environmental land use standards, this is much
better than by the coverage. Identify and study problems associated with urban agriculture, green
areas, forest, parks, gardens, solid and liquid waste management, sanitation, Quarry sites and
conservation areas and fragile areas.

24
Map 6: Meki Town Existing Recreational Environmental Map

3.7. Manufacturing and Storage

Manufacturing and storage are one of the existing land use that has been identified so far. Its area is
about 11.61 hectare of land which accounts 0.35 % of the existing land use of the town. There are
some gypsum factories and warehouse scattered here and there within the residential. Resulted in
incompatible land uses. This implies, therefore, that there shall be some rearrangement of such
incompatible land uses by the forthcoming land proposals of the town.

25
Map 7:Meki Town Existing Manufacturing and Storage Map

3.8. Conclusion of Existing Land Use Analysis

In General, the existing land use encompasses Transport, Residence, Mixed use, Administration,
Commerce, Services, Manufacturing and Storages, Recreation and Environment, Urban Agriculture
and Special Function. Thus, the total existing land use covers about 3280.79 hectares.

Table 1: Existing land use area summary

No. Name Code Area square meter Area by Hec. %

1 Administration AD 86,153.24 8.62 0.26

2 Commerce, Business & CO 715,985.04 71.60 2.18
trade
3 Manufacturing & Storage M 116,069.37 11.61 0.35
4 Residential R 8,546,510.19 854.65 26.05
5 Mixed use R_2 87,046.64 8.70 0.27
6 Recreational & RE 1,139,404.95 113.94 3.47
Environmental
7 Service S 1,493,889.63 149.39 4.55

26
8 Special Function SF 356,736.21 35.67 1.09
9 Transportation T 4,287,557.00 428.76 13.07
10 Urban Agriculture UA 15,969,240.11 1,596.92 48.67
Total 3,282.09 100.00

27
 CHAPTER FOUR

4. Vision, Concept, Proposal and Implementation Strategy

4.1. Vision of Meki town
A vision is the overall image of what the city or town wants to be at some point in the future (usually
10 years). The vision highlights what is unique about the city or town and its identity. Defining a
vision is an important step in creating a point on the horizon upon which actors in a city can focus.

The vision also functions to unite people and their interests.

It‟s simply a statement that guides the development of a structure plan called the envisioning process
and the decisions made throughout the journey.

 To see Maki town at the end of 2032 to be a center of Argo-industry processing wealth,
clean and livable for the dwellers.

Goals

Enjoy, Livable and wealth town

 For creation job opportunities for jobless people

 Invite investors to construct hotels, restaurants and recreation places

Argo-industry processing

 Increasing the urban –rural linkage

 Promoting the Farmers productivity with small land

Clean Environment

 Protecting Greenery
 Developing waste management system

4.2. Conceptual Development

The concept is the road map that will lead us to the future. It should define what the city or town
structure would look like and produce a better organized urban space and form to facilitate
development. A Concept map is a way of representing relationships between ideas, images, or words
Concept maps are used to stimulate the generation of ideas, and are believed to aid creativity.

28
  Vision development
 Natural feature of the town
 Consider balanced development through center & sub-center approach
 Integration or networking
 Expansion direction
 Compact development
 Green development
 Consider future development perspective/ comparative advantage of the town
 Change the various barriers (manmade & natural) to appropriate land use functions:
 Equitable distribution of urban services

Map 8: Conceptual Map

4.3. Proposed land use and Land Budgeting

According to the housing input the land requirement of housing is about 364.912 hectare of land for
the planning period. Contingency of 20% according to the new 40, 30, 30 strategies. (364.912 *.2) +

29
364.912= 437.89 ha. Existing residential = 863.35ha. Therefore, the total area of land required for
housing for the planning period will be 437.89 + 863.35= 1301.24 hectare.

According to the housing input the land requirement of housing is about 364.912 housing unit, if plot
standards 160 𝒎𝟐, hectare of land for the planning period.

Table 2: Existing Land Use and Standard

No General Land Use According to Old According to 40,30,30

Classification
1 Residential 40-50 16 – 20
2 Commerce, Business &Trade 7-20 2.8 – 8
3 Service 10-20 4–8

4 Administration 3-7 1.2 – 2.8

5 Manufacturing & Storage 10-15 4–6
6 Recreational & Environmental 15-20 30
7 Road and Transport 15-25 30
8
Total land use 100 100

Generally, the General Proposed land use of the town includes Residential both pure and mixed;

Commerce, Business and trade; Administration; Services; Recreational & Environmental Sensitive
Areas; Manufacturing & Storages; Transport, urban agriculture; and special functions. Housing is an
important urban land use class. Housing issues are of paramount importance to all citizens; hence
housing was made a compulsory element in the structure plan.

4.3.1. Mixed and Residence

Housing is one of the major land use categories of the structure plan of the city or town. The detail
categories of housing incorporate the existing residential houses both pure and mixed uses which is

designated by R1, proposed housing designated by R2, Density areas like condominium houses

designated by R3, and Special housing like real estate which is designated by R4. Accordingly, the
existed land uses which are prone to natural hazards like quarry area, and other environmental
30
sensitive areas were relocated to newly proposed housing areas. Furthermore, some slum residential
areas at the inner center of the town which are characterized by deteriorated housing units,
inaccessibility, and lack of open spaces and overcrowdings of people exercising informal trade
activities; and not comfortable for living were changed to commercial land uses. In doing so by
taking appropriate intervention mechanism during implementation to this slum areas, making
conducive living and working area through the introduction of mixed development for the area.

In addition, Contingencies were introduced in calculating the land budget for this particular land use
category in order to accommodate its non-prohibited contents like local roads, educational services
(Nursery, kindergarten), Health post and clinics, Neighborhood markets ('Gulits') and mini shopping
areas, small scale enterprises, green area, Recreation and entertainment centers, and Small
Administrative and business offices. Taking these elements into consideration while implementing
the land use proposal is very important in making conducive living environment so as to achieve the
sustainability objectives from these respects.

31
Map 9: Meki Town Proposed Mixed and Residential Map
Generally, the land allocated for the housing land use is fairly distributed in all directions of the Town
and it accounts about 1120.68 hectares of land which could be 34.15 % of the total land use budgeted
for the planning period. This figure is according to the new strategy for structure plan preparation (40,
30, and 30). Relocation of farmers and Industries are a challenging task that has to be undertaken to
implement this SP and future prepared and pre prepared LDP projects.

Different scenarios could be considered for relocating the farmers and industries.

For those who want to practice their farming activity, equivalent size of farmland should be
compensated in the nearby areas.

32
For those who seek to change their current occupation, suitable projects should be designed for their
livelihood. Different micro and small-scale activities such as wood and metal works, horticulture and
urban agriculture, weaving and the like could also be alternatives for the farmers. To this end, the
following measures are to be emphasized.

Compensate, relocate and rehabilitate the farmers;

Aware and organize the farmers and form an association;

Train the farmers on how to appropriately use their compensated money and how to carry out the
identified MSEs and urban agricultural activities;

4.3.2. Commerce, Business and trade

This is another type the of general land use category of the town structure plan. The details of this
land use categories include Shops and Super Market; Hotels, bars, restaurants; Banks & insurance;

Business; and Markets (General market, Cattle market and Guilt). As identified during the situational
analysis, this land use is concentrated at the center of the Town which resulted in the creation of
monocentric characteristics of urban activities that accounts 188.93 hectares or 5.76 % In order to
solve this problem, in addition to the existed a single central business (main center) districts one sub
center which can accommodate lands for different uses of which commercial uses are the one have
been created. They were created based on the criteria set by the standards used for the preparation of
the structure plan.

33
Map 10: Meki Town Proposed Commerce and Business Map
Center: As important multi-functional activity nodes, centers are important structuring elements of
the urban form and land uses. Services are organized hierarchically in centers. The mix of functions:
different uses need to be availed in centers. Although center use will Predominantly consist of office
space and retail facilities; mix of residential area is mandatory.

Density: overall gross residential density is 150 hu/ha in the Main City Centre (MCC). The viable
residence to working area ratio in the MCC ranges from 1:3 to 1:6. The minimum FAR is 10 for the
MCC and 5 for sub-centers. Mobility and transport system: Centers should be walkable districts.
Hence, streets in centers should be pedestrian friendly. The preferred mode of transport to access
centers is mass transit system. Vehicular through movement should be discouraged. Parking facilities
need to be organized in forms of multilevel aboveground or underground parking structures.

34
The streetscape design: Universal accessibility, easy movement and proper pedestrian comfort has
to be given due emphasis. A minimum walkway width of 3m is mandatory. Adequate street furniture
has to be put in place. The street walls, ground floors of buildings need to be highly interactive with
passersby.

Identity and character: attributing or enhancing the peculiar identity of centers through spatial
configuration, vistas, and landmark sites, symbolic architecture has to be considered in the detail
urban design.

Important parameters that need to be considered in local development plan for a center are: -

Generally, to explain before center is a specific geographic location where commercial activities,
trade, important services including administration area located. Theoretically there are many ways of
arranging central locations and the typologies and are often the results of:

i. The natural terrain where the town established;

ii. The size of urban center;
iii. Street network pattern;

Markets

Different market types with different hierarchies are planned throughout the town. Most market areas
are planned as part of commerce. However, in the case of small open markets (Gulits), the market
could be setup with minimum structures like shades and stalls with parking and public toilet. Such
small market could be setup as required by lower-level administrations in a mixed land use.

Livestock markets are located in specific locations by taking into consideration the direction of
livestock flow and future urban growth pattern.

Markets can be categorized as a general markets and Livestock Market. The general market includes
Primary Market, Secondary market, Tertiary Market and open markets. The proposed structure plan
of the town incorporates these markets in addition to other commercial and business activities that
should be incorporated in this particular land use category.

General market

35
Primary market is one of the general market components that should be allocated in the central
business district which can serve the population within 7-10 km of catchment area. Accordingly,
Meki town has one central business district at the central part, and hence it is adequate market for the
town population and surrounding.

Secondary market is other components of the general market which can serve the town population
within 2.5-7 km of the catchment area that should be allocated in or around centers and sub-center
along major roads and near mass transport system. In case of proposing one secondary market (fruit
and vegetables) market.

Livestock Market

The study of the physical sector indicates reveals that there is one cattle market in the town which is
located accordingly the standard and compatibility which means at the periphery of the town.

4.3.3. Administration
According to the new strategy land use category proportion for administration is about 1.2% - 2.8%.
Generally, the land allocated for the administration land use is about 12.66 hectares of land which
could be 0.38 % of the total land use budgeted for the planning period. This figure is according to the
new strategy for structure plan preparation (40, 30, 30). Meki town is different Administration sit
both town administration & woreda administration depending on that proposed different
administration in different direction.

36
Map 11: Meki Town Proposed Administration Map

4.3.4. Social Service

Social service is one of the general land uses of the proposed Town structure plan which include
numerous social facilities such as educational services, Youth center, Health services etc. in which
each of them has their own details (see table) which provide service to the residents of the Town as
well as the neighboring rural areas and urban centers. According to the new strategy it should account
about 4% -8% of the total land use of the city structure plan. As it can be identified during the
situational analysis, this land use is concentrated at the center of the Town. Therefore, the proposal

37
has addressed the issues by distributing the services fairly through the entire town especially at the
periphery of the town.

Education Services

It is one of the social facilities which includes its own details like primary school, secondary schools
(Both high school and Preparatory schools), Special Schools, Technical and vocational school,
College, University and Research Institute. Future requirement of schools is estimated based on
future enrolment and the standard set by Ministry of Education (MoE). Scarcity of land is also
considered. The proposal is taken in to consideration the school age population for reserving lands for
each education facilities and fairly distributed by considering the newly proposed roads for their
accessibility.

38
Map 12: Meki Town Proposed Service Map

Health Services

It is another type of social facilities which includes its own details like Health Post, Health Center,
District Hospital, Specialized hospital and Veterinary. The proposal is taken in to consideration the
number serviced population for reserving lands for each health facilities.

Community & Cultural Facilities

39
The details of this social facility include library, Cinema Hall, theatre, Museum, Cultural center, and
Children and youth center. To overcome the shortage of youth center in that town have to proposed
according to standard with considering the existing and as to get input from historians and spatial
analysis to proposed different cultural center area like museum, cinema hall, cultural center and other
cultural facility places.

4.3.5. Municipal Services

Refer to basic services that residents of a town expect the city government to provide for them. It
includes Fire brigade, Slaughter house, public toilet and shower, and social welfare. Allocation of
land, waste disposal and treatment design and construction requirements, of abattoirs should be
guided by the standards and regulation of the Ethiopian Livestock Authority.

General norms and standards of location are stated below: -

A slaughter house or an abattoir cannot be mixed with residence or commerce. This facility should be
built only on land reserved for such purpose by the Structure Plan or in industrial zone.

It should be at least 2km away from sources of water (e.g., deep wells, ponds, lakes, etc.).

Its location should be against the prevailing wind direction of the town. The site should be free from
big trees that may harbor scavenging birds. It is preferable if the slope is about 5% to protect the
facility from rainwater runoff and runoff from the dirty part of the premise.

It should be accessible at least with a compacted gravel collector road. It should be located at least
5km away from runways of airports. It should not be located in expansion areas. Infrastructures such
as water supply, electricity, etc. should be available

Religious Facility

It includes the worship facilities that are needed for different religious institutions. Only schools,
health facilities, home for elderly, feeding center and similar facilities area allowed inside the
compound of a worship place.

The front view of the worship place, which is the view from the main access, should not be
obstructed by a building. The structure for worship place should be constructed at least 10m away

40
from the main street. Generally, the services land use covers about 202.07 hectares from total area of
the town that is 6.16%.

4.3.6. Recreational and Environmental Sensitive Areas

Environment is one of the existing land use categories identified so far which cover about 339.29
hectares or 10.33 % of the total existing land use. Green area (Buffer, Road side green, and nursery
site) is the dominant land use category concerning its coverage. Study problems associated with urban
agriculture, green areas, forest, parks, gardens, solid and liquid waste management, sanitation, Quarry
sites and conservation areas and fragile areas also identified. During site analysis, lack of Street
greenery, nursery, median tree (except natural greenery) has been observed.

Map 13: Meki Town Proposed Recreational and Environmental Map

41
4.3.7. Urban Agriculture
Meki town is as one of the most known urban agricultural activities playing a great role. This
includes various agricultural activities like animal fattening, poultry and different farming activities.
Most of horticulture sites are located at the center of the town and becomes incompatible with the
new developments like national railway stations and business area that need to intervention. Most of
the Irrigation sites are distributed over all parts of the town. This urban Agricultural land use covers
345. 69 hectares of the proposed general land use that is about 10.53 %. Of the total coverage.

Map 14: Meki Town Proposed Urban Agriculture Map

4.3.8. Manufacture & Storage

Manufacturing and storage are one of the existing lands uses that has been identified so far. Its area is about
207.43 hectares of land which accounts 6.32% of the existing land use of the town. There are some light
manufacturing and warehouse scattered here and there within the residential. Resulted in incompatible land

42
uses. This implies, therefore, that there shall be some rearrangement of such incompatible land uses by the
forthcoming land proposals of the town.

Map 15: Meki Town Proposed Manufacture and Storage Map

4.3.9. Road Network, Transportation & Utilities

Road Network

Great Streets by Allan B Jacobs

In general roads have two basic traffic service functions. The foremost one is to provide traffic
mobility while the subsequent one is to release access. These two functions in turn have inverse
relationships. The one with deep and long-distance traffic with high and uniform speeds and

43
uninterrupted traffic flows is directly correlated with mobility. Limited pace and episodic flows are
purposes of roads. There are three levels of access controls: -

1. Full access control- except providing access connections with public roads, authority to access
control is given to through traffic
2. Partial access control- provides private access connection in addition to the public ones
3. Unrestricted access control- preference is given to local traffic

The most important factors for planning road networks of urban centers are the followings: -

Traffic considerations
Land use features
Physical and topographic features
Social and environmental features
Cost

44
Map 16: Meki Town Proposed Transportation Map
The development of an urban area can be influenced by the condition and existence of road network.
Basically, all areas of the town are not provided with adequate and reliable road network facilities as
necessary to satisfy the demand. The existing road network amenities are not enough to satisfy the
need of the residents and unable to bring necessary development in its present situation. This section
of the report deals with existing situation analysis of road network of Meki town. The analysis deals
with links, hierarchy, pattern, construction materials and junctions are presented below

4.4. Conclusion of the proposed Land Use of the town

As stated above out of the delineated administrative boundary 3282.09 hectare, about additional
kebeles is used within the planning boundary.

45
Most of the land use categories are within the standard except the road and transport, manufacturing
& environment. Road and transport land use is below the standard due to the fact that the local roads
within the planning boundary should have been included to fulfill the standard on one hand, and the
topographic settings of the town does not allow for the provision of road infrastructure based on their
requirement on the other hand. Hence, the proposed general land use of the city is summarized by the
following tables and maps by considering 10% the potential land use is reserved for the unforeseen
situations that will probably be happened in the planning period.

General Land Use Classification and Proportions of the Structure Plan According to the Revised
Standards for Structure Plan Preparation and Implementation, the urban land use classification that
can be used during the preparation of the structure plan of any town incorporates 7 major land uses.

They are:

1) Housing / Residence
2) Business and commerce/ Centers and market places,
3) Social Services (Public facilities, cultural, archeological sites and special functions,
4) Green, recreation, sports and environmental sensitive area
5) Administration
6) Manufacturing and storage,
7) Infrastructure, utilities and Transportation,

46
Map 17: Meki Town Proposed General Land Use Map
Computed from the proposed land use of the town

Table 3: Existing Land Use Area Summary

No Name Code Area by Square Area by Hec. % Percent
meter
1 Administration AD 126,610.1309 12.66 0.38
2 Commerce, Business CO 1,889,336.411 188.93 5.76
&Trade
3 Manufacturing & M 2,074,300.082 207.43 6.32
Storage
4 Residential R 11,206,823.58 1120.68 34.15
5 Mixed use R_2 3,238,019.879 323.80 9.87

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6 Recreational and RE 3,581,249 339.29 10.33
Environmental
7 Service S 2,020,693.32 202.07 6.16
8 Transportation T 5,415,423 541.544 16.5
9 Urban Agriculture UA 3,456,955.64 345. 69 10.53
32,827,909.96 3282.09 100.00

CHAPTER FIVE

5. Implementation Strategies of the Proposed Land Use of the town Structure

Plan
The sequence of activities in the implementation of plans is as follows: -

Plan approval
Preparation of regulations, directives, and working procedures,
Entering agreement with implementing agencies,
Formulation of projects according to LDPs and operational plans,
Allocation of budget, manpower, and equipment,
Valuate, negotiate, fix and compensate landholders, relocate, rehabilitate,
Site clearing, surveying and localizing bench marks and corner stones
Construct necessary infrastructure
Allocate land and issue title deeds for potential developers (individual applicants,
investors or public bodies),
Issue building permit
Register the allocated land on cadastral map,
Monitor and evaluate building development,
Update SP as required when modifications are made to local areas

5.1. Purpose of the Implementation Strategy

Undertaking on urban plan implementation is somewhat a challenging and daunting task due to its
very expansive nature. In order to perform effective and efficient implementation activities, the
necessary responsible body/organ/team has to be created /set up both within plan preparing
institutions as well as plan implementing sectors.

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The Implementation Strategies provides a road map for action. It outlines what the town of Meki
must do to implement the newly proposed Structure Plan. It provides an approach especially
customized to the unique Ambo context.

It sets out the potential projects, programs, policies and strategies to move the structure Plan towards
realization. With an emphasis on Governance, the planning and regulatory framework, incentives and
financial tools, capital improvements, as well as other recommended strategies, this part addresses the
current conditions of town in defining the necessary actions that will advance the long-term vision.

Before the commencement of the implementation, Meki town should prepare the required
institutional setup for plan implementation. For implementing bodies, establishment of proper
technical information communication, and setting up of a suitable channel for following
implementation activities to planning bodies and other stakeholders at different level is essential so as
to have a clear vision of implementation tools and phasing guidelines so as to bring about sustainable
urban development in line with the objectives of the plan. Plans should have supportive
implementation tools and phasing guidelines.

5.2. Development of implementation tools

Implementation tools must be developed by the institution set by plan implementation before starting
implementation. Such tools include rules and regulations regarding space and service standards,
typologies of layouts and buildings; building bylaws, requirements from applicants for plan approval,
regulations providing power and stating functions of institutes. Rules and regulations should be
relevant to the context of urban centers.

5.2.1. Institutional set up

Implementation of plans requires the setting up of proper institutions. Each urban area should have an
institutional set up commensurate with the level of complexities of activities; however, the following
institutions are mandatory for all levels of urban areas: -
Line Services

 Public works and town planning

 Community development
 Social services (education, health, fire brigade, urban police, etc.)
 Public parks, recreation and culture,

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  Revenue collection

Support services

 Personnel administration,  Finance

5.2.2. Legal Institutional Setup for Implementation

From the very beginning, the following up of the implementation process for every structure plan of
Oromia cities and towns is the mandate of the monitoring and evaluation department of Oromia
Urban Planning Institute. However, in the case of Meki town the implementation issue should be
regularly followed so as to achieve the objectives that could not be achieved by the department
mentioned earlier. Therefore, there should be an institution in line with the department that can share
its mandates and work in collaboration with the municipality of the city. Due to these facts, it is better
to establish a planning unit at the city level that can follow-up, monitor and evaluate the
implementation the city structure plan in order to attain the set objectives.
Update the Structure Plan with Day-to-Day Changes on the Ground

Using the structure plan as a master record system (database) upload each and every implemented
activity on to the structure plan is very important in order to know the implemented portions of the
proposed structure plan. In doing so, at the end of the planning period it is possible to have a database
of the town structure plan showing the reality of the town development.

One thing to remember is that the updating work is not only limited to the implemented ones but also
includes all tools so far prepared for implementing the structure plan like the local development plans
(LDPs) and different projects. This database can be used for further studies as well as used as the
inputs for the next steps of the revision of the city structure plan.

5.3. Guiding Principles for Plan Implementation

It is one component of Implementation Measures incorporating the following basic points.

 Approval

The prepared city structure plan must have approval from the concerned body before the
commencement of its implementation. Unless approved and legally backed, trying to implement it is
unlawful.

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  Development of Implementation Tools

Implementation tools must be developed by the institution set by plan implementation before starting
implementation. Such tools include rules and regulations regarding space and service standards,
typologies of layouts and buildings; building bylaws, requirements from applicants for plan approval,
regulations providing power and stating functions of institutes. Rules and regulations should be
relevant to the context of urban centers.

 Project based implementation

Implementation can proceed with the preparation of specific projects and programs. In the programs,
project priorities should be set; however, there should be flexibility to adjust priorities. Within the
overall program of actions, projects should be planned on a yearly basis with budgets for the fiscal
year.

 Good Governance

Implementation of urban plans should be based on good governance. To this effect the implementing
body must ensure the following situations:

 Transparency: The public should be notified of any planning and implementation activity in
their town.
 Consistency: decisions should be consistent for all similar cases.
 Accountability: The implementing bodies should be held accountable for their decisions.
 Public participation: The public should be consulted during each project preparation.
 Referral system: Mechanisms should be laid to allow inconvenienced parties to appeal against
decision.
 Clear vision of implementation

The implementing body should have a clear vision of implementation. Having a clear vision implies,
focusing on potentials and exploiting opportunities. Councils and urban managers (local urban
government) are expected to have clear vision for the urban area and constantly inform the public so
as to achieve their visions by implementing plans.

 Performance Measures

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It is difficult to know whether the objectives of an urban plan are being achieved or not through the
implementation of complex activities. There is a need to have objective performance criteria to
evaluate plan implementation. The evaluation has to be project-wise as well as across activities.
Therefore, setting performance measures for each activity that are going to be implemented is the pre-
requisite for commencing implementation of the plan.

 Timely Revision

Plans have validity periods; they need to be revised in time. Revisions may not be done all at once;
some amendments should be carried out on yearly basis for planning element. These amendments
could be initiated by individuals or by the planning departments. Amendments should be discussed by
the public and adopted by the ruling council. The overall revision task is similar to starting the
planning process again. Hence it should follow proper procedures of initiation and approval. The
appropriate time for revision is when requests for dispensation and waiver become frequent, or when
the planning department identifies that the existing plan is no more suitable for the situation.

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 1. Major Contents of Land use Categories and Prohibited uses

Table 4 Major Contents of Land use Categories and Prohibited uses

Land use Category Major Contents of the category Prohibited uses

Housing • All types of residential developments

• Educational services: kindergarten to secondary schools
Large scale industries, storage and warehouses,
• Health services: health post to health center
Military establishments and ammunition stores;
• Neighborhood markets ('Gulit') and shopping areas
Waste treatment plants and landfill sites;
• Small and medium scale Manufacturing and warehouses
Cemeteries; Transport terminals; Quarries
• Recreation and entertainment centers
Universities, colleges, hospitals, stadiums
• Small Administrative offices, business
• Worship places
Business and •Markets
Large scale industries, storage and warehouses;
commerce/ • Centers of different
Cemeteries; Waste treatment plants and landfill
Centers and hierarchies
sites; Military establishments and stores; and
market places • Administrative uses
Quarries
• Banks
• Insurances
Education (colleges, universities)
All except services defined within the same category
 Health (health center, hospitals)

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 Services (Public
 Community facilities
facilities, cultural,
archeological sites and  Municipal services
special functions)

Green, recreation, • Open space for outdoor recreation; necessary for the All activities except for direct uses designated
sports and preservation of natural resources; and part of the environment project; any urban
environmental • Open space for the managed production of resources; built-up activity
sensitive areas • Open space reserved for public safety against risks from more than 25 % coverage in parks and green
environmental elements; recreation areas
• Open space for future expansion; Right-of-ways reserves for
future upgrading of road size

Administration • Governmental institutions Mainly not far from central areas except in the
• NGOs case of correctional institution
• Police
• Justice
Manufacturing • Industry and manufacturing All except services defined
• Correctional Institutions
and • Warehouse, depots within the same category
storage

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3. Standard of Markets for Commercial and Trade Activities
Table 5: standard for size determination land use

S/No. Level of Services Space Catchme Served Population Typology Location

Require nt Area
ment

1 Gulit / Local 0.25ha 0.5-1 km For local population Open markets  Inside local / residential areas
Market close to 5,000 in a  Near intersection of residential
city with population roads
size > 50,000

2 Open Market 0.25- 0.5-1 > 2,000 G+0 of semi-  In central part of City
0.5ha covered and  Near intersection of residential
open markets. roads

2 Level three 1-2 G+0-G+3 of  Near the intersection of

semi-covered collector roads
Tertiary Market 1-2.5hac
and open  In or around centers and sub-
- markets. center

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 4 Level two or 2.5-7 G+1-G+3  In or around centers and sub-
buildings, center
Secondary market
Mini super  Along major roads and near
4-6hac - markets mass transport system;

5 Level one or 7-11 7-10 - G+1-G+5  Inside CBD

Primary Market hectare buildings,  Near major arterials and mass
Super
markets, shopping transport system
moles

 Standard and Norms for Livestock Market

S/N Level of Number of Livestock Supply Area Required in meter squares for Total Area in Hectare
Service Livestock

Cattle Shoats Equin Lives Circulation Facilities*

e tock

1 Local < 500 < 1000 < 20 2830 290 1040 0.42

2 Tertiary 750-1000 1500- 30-40 4245-5660 435-580 1560-2080 0.62- 0.83

2000

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3 Secondar 1500- 2500- 50-60 7950-10240 815-1050 2922-3763 1.17- 1.51
y 2000 3000

4 Primary >3000 >4000 70 14730 1510 5413 2.17

Table 6: Standard for Education service

S/ Level of Space Radius of Location

N Education requirement Catchments
area

Nursery 70-175 m2 < 400m  Within residential areas

 Center of catchments area
1
 Within kindergartens and near working places
2
Kindergarten 500-3000 m < 1km  100m from dumpsters, noise pollutants, health facilities,
etc.
2 Primary 1.5 – 2.5ha <2km  Within residential areas (for primary schools)
Education  Along residential collector roads (for primary schools)
 Along main collector roads (for secondary schools)
Secondary 3-6 ha 3-5 km
 Near intersection of roads and mass transport system
Education
3 (for secondary schools)

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 4 Post- 2.5-6ha 3-5 km  Near mass transport system within a walking distance
secondary from transport services (for post-secondary schools)
Education or  100m far from main road, market areas, bars, traffic
congestion, dumping ground and bad smell emitting
Specialized
industries, noise of industrial activities and music shops,
High Schools
health facilities, bus terminals, rivers, gullies, video
shops,
 Not close to hazard-prone lands, flooding, malaria, etc
 Should be attractive and convenient
 Sport fields, parking area, potable water, pedestrian
walk way, plot for garden vegetables, ought to be
available

Table 7: Standard for Health Institutions

Level Space Served Location

Requirement Population

R*  Within residential area; near intersection of residential roads; far

from noisy activities (for health post only)
U Health post 300 m2 3,000 -
 1,500 - 2,000 meters far away from activities that have undue noises,
5,000

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R 2,000 – 5,000 smoke, dust or foul odors,
m2  Shall not be located adjacent to railroads, freight yards, airports,
A Health 15,000-
grinding mill, traffic pools, industrial plants and disposal plants.
Center 25,000
L  200-500 meters far from bars& night clubs, schools, commercial
5,000 – market centers, religious facilities, children's playgrounds
10,000 m2  Health institutions stationed in the premises of airports or industrial
Primary 60,000-
plants shall have 200-500 meters distance
Hospitals 100,000
 1,500 meters far from a gas depot or cross-country petroleum or gas
U** 5,000 – 40,000 pipelines.
2
10,000 m  The locations of a hospital shall comply with all relevant national and
R Primary
Hospitals state level regulations.
B
 The hospital shall be built in a flat terrain with a gentle slope;
General 1,000,000-
A  The foundation schemes, soil test and investigation shall be done and
Hospital 1,500,000

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 N Specialized 30, 000 m2 3,500,000 – it shall comply with the national building code;
Hospital 5,000,000  The hospital shall be located along collector roads within walking
distance from mass transport, a need to have water supply, electric
City, public phones, etc;
 The building shall be parallel to the wind direction, sun glare and
heat;
 The surroundings of the hospital shall be free from dangers of
flooding, pollution of any kind (example air, water, noise) and health
hazards;
 From landscape point of view, it should be attractive i.e. with green
areas and beautiful trees.
Table 8: Standards and Norms for Football Fields

S/ Level of Sport Space Catchments Served Location

N Facilities Requiremen Area
Population
t

1 Play lot 0.1-0.2ha 120m radius 1,250-1,750 Center of catchment area with in residential areas at
neighborhood level
(Residential
cluster) Not adjacent to collector roads

2 Playground 0.3-0.42 ha 400m radius 5,000-7,500 Within the catchment area in residential areas at

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 (Residential) neighborhood level

Kebele level 8064 m2 1km radius 5,000 - 10,000  Within catchment area kebele boundary
football field  Outside centers of urban centers
3

4 Woreda level 11935 m2 Woreda 60,000 - Within the woreda boundary

football field 120,000

5 Zonal level Administrative 300,000-

football / stadium zone or Sub- 600,000
11935 m2 --
City

6 Regional level City and region --

football/ stadium
13120 m2 --

7 National level National and It can be located outside the urban boundary
football international
40,000 m2 --

Table 9: Level of Services, Requirement, and Location of Local Administration

S/N Space Catchment Area Served Population Location

Requirement

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1 0.1 - 0.5ha Kebele administration 2,000-10,000  Preferably In the center of Kebele
 Accessible (Along the collector roads)
 Far from commercially active areas.
2 1 - 2.5ha Woreda administration 60,000-120,000  In all direction
 Accessible (Along the collector roads)
 Far from commercially active areas.
2 - 2.5ha Zone administration  In all direction
 Accessible (Along the collector roads)
 Far from commercially active areas.
3 2.5 – 2.8 ha Sub-City administration 300,000-600,000  Preferably In the center of sub-City
 Accessible (near mass transport services)
 Far from commercially active areas.

Table 10: Standards for Manufacturing Activities / Industry

No Standard Type of manufacturing activities Area required in Remarks

(m sq)

1 Small scale industries Wood and metal workshops, garage, 500-2,500 Can be mixed with residence and
mills, handicrafts such as ceramic, other compatible uses
traditional clothing and jewelry

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 production, etc

2 Medium scale Processing plants, packing, etc 5,000-10,000 Can be mixed with store,
industries distribution services and other
compatible uses
3 Large scale industries Flour, and textile factories, etc 10,000-15,000 Can be mixed with store,
distribution services and other
compatible uses

Table 11: Standard for Warehouses

S/N Levels of Description Locations

Warehouse

1 Small size Warehouses of agricultural products and  Near commercial activities;

industrial products (textile, sugar, food,  Near centers/sub centers of urban centers;
etc.) used for collection or sale Accessible/adjacent to major collector roads.

 Semi-peripheral areas or intermediate zones of urban

centers
2 Medium size Distribution storages
 Accessible or near junctions of arterials and inner
ring roads

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  In the peripheries
 Near the junctions of arterials or radial and ring roads
3 Large size Such as silos AMC, EDDC
 In close proximity with medium and large industrial
activities

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