Architectural design led approach to sustainable tourism for the waterfront development of Kunduchi in Tanzania

Abstract

In Kunduchi, located in the Kinondoni district of the Dar es Salaam Region, it is of vital importance for the lives and livelihoods of the indigenous people to preserve the typical ecosystems and ensure the identity and economic resilience of these areas. The problem statement is as follows: In what way can sustainable tourism in Kunduchi serve as an engine for economic and social empowerment? How can Kunduchi be an inspiring example for the development of the coast of Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania that is threatened by large-scale tourist infrastructure? How to design sustainable solutions with respect for the local community and the local traditions? Firstly, a theoretical framework that connects sustainable tourism with the sustainable development of coastal areas is defined. Assumptions made on the basis of the literature review provide parameters that play an important role in the architectural concepts. Secondly, a research by design is presented in order to analyze and evaluate different scenarios to outline the opportunities of sustainable tourism on site of Kunduchi. Sustainable waterfront development is an obvious subtitle since the subtle spatial integration of these projects in the urban and water related context of Dares Salaam is of major importance.