Urban land use efficiency in Ethiopia: An assessment of urban land use sustainability in Addis Ababa

• Published in: Land use policy 2020-12, Vol.99, p.105081, Article 105081
• Main Authors: Koroso, Nesru H., Zevenbergen, Jaap A., Lengoiboni, Monica
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Cities; Expansion; GIS; Hoarding; Land institutions; Land lease policy; Land use; Policy implementation; Policy making; Productivity; Qualitative analysis; Remote sensing; Satellite imagery; Satellites; Software; Sustainability; Urban areas; Urban development; Urban growth; Urban land use sustainability; Urban sprawl; Urbanization
• ISSN: 0264-8377; 1873-5754
• DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.105081

•The main aim of this study is to assess urban land use efficiency in Ethiopia from urban land use sustainability perspectives.•Spatiotemporal changes in Addis Ababa have been analyzed using satellite imagery.•The results revealed that there are pervasive practices of urban land use inefficiency in Addis Ababa.•Gaps in the lease policy implementation might be responsible for the prevalence of urban land use inefficiencies.•The findings of the study are imperative for improving urban land use efficiency through institutional reforms in Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, since 1993, urban land lease policy has been in place to facilitate land transfer for residential, commercial and industrial purposes. As a result, many cities, including Addis Ababa, have witnessed enormous boundary expansion mainly through farmland conversion. Over the past two decades, though Addis Ababa experienced rapid spatial boundary expansion, very little is known about urban land use efficiency (ULUE) of the city. This paper analysed ULUE using remote sensing data. Emphasis was given to the assessment of spatiotemporal land use changes since 2004. Satellite imagery analysis was done using ArcGIS software. Besides, quantitative and qualitative data from secondary sources were studied. Moreover, field observation was conducted. Research findings showed that in almost all expansion frontiers (Bole and Akaki-Kaliti sub-cities) there is a prevalence of urban land use inefficiencies, i.e. pervasive practices of land hoarding and land use fragmentation. Urban sprawl is rampant with a significant part of the land transferred being left vacant or underutilised for years. The problem of ULUE in the country could be mainly attributed to institutional weaknesses, i.e. urban land lease policy gaps, particularly, in areas of lease policy implementation. To improve land productivity, limit eviction and ensure sustainable urban growth, the city should emphasise on improving ULUE. This study highlighted that a mere policy formulation is not enough to ensure efficient urban land use. To achieve land lease policy goals, strengthening institutions, working towards improving institutional functionality, is what policymakers should focus on.