The relationship between industrial site location and employees place of residence. A case study of Kampala.

Abstract

Industrial sites and residential areas are major Lend using in any urban setting. Industrial sites do bear a lot of relationship within themselves as well as with other urban land-uses. The relationship between industrial sites & residential areas is particularly important in terms of where industrial employees will stay. Secondly, the location of an industrial site near a residential area may imply or result into a lot of environmental hazards depending on the type of industrial activities taking place there. The view amongst Planners like Ebnezar Howard has been that indust- rial sites should be located as far apart as possible from residential areas so as to minimise environmental nuisances such as noise, smoke or smell. At tle same time, some planners have advocated that there should be a relationship between industrial sites and industrial employees' place of residence, so as to minimise journey to work. In this thesis, an attempt is made to establish the factors or forces behind the existing location of industrial sites and the location of residential areas with particular emphasis on industrial em- ployees' place of residence, the Government's role in providing insititutional houses for low-income group most of whom are industrial employees, the impact of industrial activities en to the neighbouring residential areas, and hew the journey to work influences the choice of place of residence for the industrial employees in Kampala. Data obtained indicates chat industrial employees in Kampala do not actually live near their place of work, that there is little provision by the Government; for Low-income hou.sinq which can be afforded by industrial employees and that most of the low-income housing is provided by the private sector.

In view of these findings there is need for Government to embark on a housing programme for t.h e Low-in ncome group as this would certainly cater for the industrial employee that such a programme should be suppli.me nted by intensification of public transport services not only within industrial areas ti1emselveo:. but also between industrial areas and industrial employees place of residence that there is need to set up industrial employees' trade unions to take care of their interests. Finally, that there is need to revise and modify the present industrial location policy for future planning purposes.