Kigali
The Kigali Urban Fabric Initiative (UFI) is an informal settlement upgrading project with €1 million euros of funding from AFD and the EU, and is being implemented in conjunction with the City of Kigali under the Kigali Informal Settlement Upgrading Project (KISUP). The aim is to fund small-scale public space upgrading and community infrastructure projects co-designed and co-produced by residents and urban stakeholders, implemented in close collaboration with local authorities (community representatives and the City of Kigali.
The UFI Operator, which is facilitating the project is a consortium led by Rwanda Women’s Network (RWN), working in collaboration with Bantu Studio and Espelia. Some facilities will be designed and built directly by the UFI Operator, using participatory methods; other facilities designs will be guided by the UFI Operator with a hired consultant; and others will be designed and built by external consultants without the UFI’s oversight.
Objectives
- Enhance the living conditions and socio-economic prospects of residents in urban informal settlements.
- With a focus on participatory co-design and community-driven development, the UFI seeks to strategically develop, design and construct key facilities needed for the incremental upgrading of the selected communities, and provides technical assistance for further upgrading investments to be implemented by the City of Kigali.
Implementation
Rwanda Women’s Network (RWN) is leading the community engagement processes, in consortium with two partners
- Bantu Studio, a collaborative architecture, urban design and urban planning firm based in Johannesburg, South Africa
- Espelia, a French firm with expertise on the economic, financial, legal, institutional and organizational dimensions of public services, policies and projects.
“Bantu’s design work has always been based on the positive social and environmental outcomes impact-driven design strategies can nurture. This project sits right at the intersection of design and strategic development, and represents a much-needed investment in areas typically underserved by the design professions.”
Garret Gantner & Costanza La Mantia, Directors, Bantu Studio