Model green city project will not relocate any residents, say developers

Developers of a model green in Kinyinya sector, Kigali city have announced that they will not relocate any residents as a way of inclusive urbanisation, Sunday Times has learnt. Eudes Kayumba, Deputy Team Leader of the Green City Pilot project said that the preliminary feasibility study was submitted but they are going to launch competition for the design and master plan before starting the implementation by the end of 2020. “As part of green and sustainable urbanisation, there must be affordable housing that mitigates and adapts to climate change,” he said. The model city will have clean technologies, electric vehicles, electric bicycle and motorcycle lanes, renewable energy, sustainable waste treatment, biogas plants, urban forests, among others. “We are going to start outreach programmes to call for proposals related to design and master plan development that can be funded. Both local and international design firms are welcome,” he said. Some residents have concerns about compensation, but they will not be expropriated. No one will move. They are included in the project and will get decent affordable housing. Actually not moving is part of the sustainability of the Green city, he said. Although the exact cost of the project is not yet known at the moment, “engineers have estimated between $4 billion and $5 billion.” The city that will also have eco-tourism park was funded by Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA) and German Development Cooperation – through the KfW Development Bank as well as Sweco, a European engineering and architecture firm, to support the implementation of the project. The design competition is also open to students at University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology and they are attending a three-week Summer School around sustainable urban development with the theme “Kigali as a Sustainable City” on the basis of the Green City Kigali Project as a case study. The project will involve private sector in implementation. Under Cactus Green Park project, 410 houses with green aspects will be developed by Horizon Ltd on 13 hectares. Green affordable houses will also be developed by Rwanda Social Security Board on 125 hectares while other phases will include commercial and office buildings attracting innovative green businesses. Hubert Ruzibiza, Chief Executive Officer of Fonerwa said:” We encourage and support sustainable inclusion and promotion of different projects especially with low gas emission and energy efficiency. Together we believe our people will benefit from this great project.” He said that the feasibility study will also mention how green jobs will be created in the model green city. Since its inception, so far the funded has created137, 785 green jobs in different green projects across the country. The fund has so far mobilized over $170 million for green projects in the country. It has so far funded over 40 such projects. Dorothea Groth, the Head of Development Cooperation in the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kigali which also funds the project said that there is need of the interchange of young people with new ideas especially working with students of University of Rwanda to implement the project. “This is a good start for the project. The future will need experts to implement more of such projects,” she said. editor@newtimesrwanda.com

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Model green city project will not relocate any residents, say developers