Use Neighbourhood Residents -Towards A MixedKhartoum inDevelopment

Abstract

Throughout most of human history, the majority of human settlements developed as mixed-use environments. Walking was the primary way that people and goods were moved about, sometimes assisted by animals such as horses or cattle. Most people dwelt in buildings that were places of work as well as domestic life, and made things or sold things from their own homes. Most buildings were not divided into discrete functions on a room by room basis, and most neighborhoods contained a diversity of uses. The purpose of this research is to show the importance of the mixed use neighborhood and if it exists, how to develop it to reduced distances between houses, workplaces, retail businesses, and other amenities, create more compact development, and land-use synergy (e.g. residents provide customers for retail which provide amenities for residents ). The analysis of Khartoum's neighborhoods show that Al-Taif and Al-Amaraat neighborhoods are already following the example of the mixed use neighborhoods; but some of these neighborhoods do not have all the basic services within them, so sometimes residents have to go outside the neighborhood to seek some of their needs that is not available within their neighborhood and that lead to a poor life style. These problems came as a result of two facts; the first and the very important one is the original plans from the ministry of planning, it doesn't follow the same standards in all neighborhoods plans, and sometimes the plan has more blocks than services areas, according to the population increase. And other reason is the original plans have all the services within, but when they come to the execution they replace the services blocks with residential blocks for the same reason (population increase) or they turn it to investment projects to the benefit of certain people not for the v neighborhood residents’ benefit. The second reason is that the residents themselves use the blocks that were fixed for the services for other purposes. This research follows the methodology of descriptive analysis and questionnaire this research is trying to study the concept of mixed-use development of several aspects; economic, social, and environmental. The comparison between the original plans by the ministry of planning and the existing situation for the two neighborhoods (Al-Taif block 24 and Al-A'marat) revealed that the areas of the services are not up to Khartoum state standards (Khartoum state follows the British standers). The spatial distribution and radius of catchment are also not up to the standards because all the services either at the center of the neighborhood or at the boundaries of the neighborhood. The lack of the essential services and the injustice in the spatial distribution for the existing services within the neighborhood force the residence of the neighborhood to seek them outside their neighborhood, this provides uncomfortable lifestyle and may affect the economic situation of the residents (transport). The most important recommendations are; the ministry of planning should apply the same standards for all the neighborhoods, and should stick to the original plans of the neighborhood, it should not change the planned spaces that were allocated for services for other purposes. Minimize the residential blocks to provide more services by changing the trend of the horizontal expansion in order to provide more space for services. For developing the mixed use services within the neighborhood; encouraging the residence to use a part of their houses for providing service (the services could be at the ground floor and the domicile on the upper floors), and promoting the handicrafts and small businesses would help to generate extra income to the family, and the services will be available.