The impact of land governance and ownership regimes on public green spaces in East African cities: The case of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Kampala (Uganda)

Rapid urbanization is exacerbating the loss of public green spaces in many East African cities; however, little research has investigated how different urban governance practices and land tenure systems may influence green space protection. Scholars have argued that polycentric green space governance approaches and diversified land ownership regimes would lead to better protection of public green spaces. This research examines these theories by comparing two East African cities: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Kampala, Uganda. In Addis Ababa, there is a polycentric governance structure, and all public green spaces are state-owned. In Kampala, there is a monocentric governance structure and public green spaces are divided among three land tenure systems (private, communal, and state ownership). We conducted in-depth interviews with 26 stakeholders, from all tiers of government administration including decision-makers, experts, and community representatives. The interviews identified three core factors (inefficient and unenforceable legal framework, limited green space planning and implementation, poor human and financial capacity) and two supporting factors (informal decision-making process and unbalanced power relationships) leading to the gradual loss of public green spaces in both cities. While we did not find evidence to support the superiority of a polycentric governance model relative to a monocentric one, we found evidence that the presence of different land tenure systems may enhance public green space protection. Our research findings provide a more nuanced understanding of how institutional governance, green space planning strategies, and the system of land tenure contribute to the loss of public green spaces in East African cities.