By Sanam Ahmadi
Sanam is a StayIN member and works as an urban planner in Hamburg. Her post is based on both her professional experience as an urban planner and a recent visit to Kabul.
The effects of long-standing military conflicts have significantly affected not only the structural structure, but also the technical and social infrastructure of the historic city of Kabul. In particular, the cityscape of Kabul is currently characterized as unsystematic and chaotic, as it is heavily influenced by years of armed conflict. More than half of the city and the old town have been destroyed.
Large urban development projects, even in a less dramatic context, represent a challenge in many respects that involve tackling a wide variety of tasks. This includes, among other things, the revitalization of the inner cities. Not only do the urban development, cultural, historical and functional characteristics of the site need to be taken into account, modern urban development also always depends on the cooperation of the actors involved. All of these aspects represent important elements of modern planning culture.
The residents in particular are important actors in driving change processes in the city. Therefore, ways should be found to involve them specifically and early on in the individual planning phases.
Ensuring this comprehensive participation is problematic in the current political situation in Kabul. Modern urban development requires diversity, participation and inclusion as well as financial resources – the conditions for this in Afghanistan are currently not good. How urban planning – at least in the Western sense – can be carried out successfully in such a constellation is therefore an open question.
Originally posted 2024-03-16 14:35:43.
