We Love The City

From 'Mono' to 'Multi' approach

Ethiopia is one of the world's leaders in urban housing production, having delivered over 200,000 new homes since 2004 through its ambitious condominium housing programme. However there are still struggles. Slums are cleared on a large scale and residents are relocated far away from their existing homes and businesses. The programme is also struggling to serve the poorest urban residents, and the 'Mono' financing approach is creating ever-increasing financial pressure on the government.

The ambitious alternative strategy for the neighbourhood of Lideta is based on a 'Multi' approach in which a committed coalition of stakeholders invest and reinvest a part of their development profits in the area. The strategy kicks off with a worldwide call for solutions in the field of commercial real estate, basic urban infrastructure and affordable housing. This leads to construction of showcase projects that form the basis of an international exposition. Successful prototypes will be upscaled elsewhere in Ethiopia. We led the design process for the first initiative of the project partnership: a climate-proof multi-sport facility that will begin construction in mid-2016. This is establishing the basis for the next steps in the broader strategy.