R+P planning details | Nature Based Solutio

The rivers + people planning in Kenya

Under the Realising Urban Nature-based Solutions (r u NbS) programme, alongside co-funding from several complementary initiatives, the Rivers + People (R+P) planning process has been implemented in Mukuru and Kibera in Nairobi, as well as in Dallas and Embu Town. In each location, the process was tailored to the local environmental, spatial, and governance context, whether along active river corridors or in densely built urban areas grappling with drainage and flood risks.

The following section outlines the core principles and step-by-step methodology of the R+P process, demonstrating how it enables the co-creation of socially inclusive and ecologically resilient neighbourhood plans.

R+P planning principles

The Rivers + People (R+P) approach is grounded in a set of guiding principles that combine ecological restoration with community leadership, ensuring that planning is inclusive, context-sensitive, and resilient to climate risks.

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Community-led, Ecologically Attuned Development

Planning is anchored in local knowledge and priorities while restoring or enhancing ecological functions.

Natural Systems as Structure

Rivers, drains, or green corridors are used as key organising features for the plan.

Integration of Green-Grey Infrastructure

Solutions blend nature-based and engineered systems to address stormwater, flooding, and infrastructure challenges.

Spatial Integration

New interventions are embedded within the existing urban fabric and settlement patterns.

Built on Existing Initiatives

Local initiatives and informal systems are recognised as foundations for scalable, sustainable development.

Connectivity and Inclusion

The approach improves links between new and existing infrastructure, including roads, green spaces, and drainage systems.

Participatory Risk Mapping

Flood modelling and hazard mapping are used to foster consensus and identify priority action areas.

Ecological and Human Rights Focus

The process promotes ecological health and ensures dignity, access, and equity for all residents.

Key Components of the R+P Planning Process

The Rivers + People (R+P) Planning Process follows a step-by-step methodology designed to centre local knowledge, enable inclusive decision-making, and deliver actionable neighbourhood plans. Each phase builds on the last, moving from analysis to visioning, and ultimately to co-developed solutions that reflect both community priorities and environmental realities.

1. Preliminary Activities

The process begins with a desk study to analyse existing problems and the area's context, socio-economic dynamics, infrastructure, history, and environmental conditions. This is paired with a community mobilisation strategy, definition of the planning area, and stakeholder mapping.

2. Local Leadership Engagement

Local leaders, stakeholders, and authorities are briefed on the project’s aims. A walk-through of the area is conducted to validate initial findings and identify local mobilisers.

3. Community Introduction

The wider community is engaged through a public introduction meeting, where preliminary findings are shared and validated with residents.

4. Data Collection and Analysis

Community members are trained in participatory mapping, helping to gather data on infrastructure, land use, drainage paths, and hazards. Identified data gaps are filled through further collection and analysis.

5. Situational Analysis Workshop

Participatory maps are validated and discussed in a community workshop. Together, stakeholders identify key opportunities for intervention.

6. Visioning and Goal-Setting

Residents take part in a visioning workshop, where they articulate their long-term aspirations and define clear goals and objectives for neighbourhood improvement.

7. Solutions Development – Phase I

The planning team presents a set of spatial and non-spatial intervention options based on the goals set by the community. These options are discussed and spatially located in the neighbourhood.

8. Solutions Development – Phase II

Options are explored in more depth. Pros and cons are assessed, and residents participate in a prioritisation exercise. A problem-solution map is created, linking specific challenges to feasible interventions.

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9. Action Area Plan Development and Community Validation

A comprehensive R+P Planning Action Area Plan is developed, bringing together validated findings, proposed interventions, spatial layouts, and implementation strategies. The draft plan is then presented to the community for feedback and validation, ensuring transparency, fostering ownership, and aligning the final plan with local priorities and knowledge.

R+P planning

Adapting the R+P Planning Process in Embu: The Dallas Green Infrastructure Plan

As an application of the Rivers + People (R+P) planning principles in a secondary city context, the Dallas ASILI (Adaptation Solutions, Inclusive Locally-led Infrastructures) project in Dallas informal settlement, Embu County, demonstrates how the R+P approach can be adapted and scaled in areas without a central river system, but still facing acute water-related and environmental challenges.

Led by KDI in partnership with the Embu County Government, and supported by the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoMSSA), the project applied the full R+P planning process to co-develop a Green Infrastructure Plan for the settlement. The initiative was funded by GIZ and co-funded under the r-u-NbS programme with support from SwedBio. While the foundational R+P components—such as community mobilisation, participatory mapping, collaborative visioning, and co-design of interventions—remained central, the Dallas process featured a stronger involvement of government stakeholders throughout all stages.

This more institutionalised collaboration helped align the community-generated plan with county-level urban resilience goals, ensuring that the proposed green infrastructure solutions, such as natural drainage paths, rehabilitated water assets, and multifunctional public spaces, could be integrated into broader development frameworks.

The process was further enriched by a series of capacity-building and public awareness activities, including climate change workshops, neighbourhood clean-up events, and stakeholder dialogues. These not only fostered community ownership and technical know-how but also strengthened cross-sectoral relationships, crucial for long-term sustainability and maintenance of the interventions.

Ultimately, the Dallas Green Infrastructure Plan is a locally anchored, government-supported outcome of the R+P process. It demonstrates how nature-based solutions can be co-produced in informal settlements in smaller urban centres, creating a model for scalable, climate-resilient planning that is grounded in both community priorities and public policy frameworks.