Figure 4-23 – Diagram showing various proposed nodes in context of the proposed township plan

The proposal’s primary aim is to develop a linear park along a section of the river which will connect adjacent north-south nodes and revitalise the river. This will be supported by climate resilient infrastructure interventions such as bank stabilization through increased tree planting and bio-retention systems, that combine to improve the riverine habitat. A 2.5 km stretch of river is identified for the proposed interventions. The river further offshoots south into the town2, integrating with a naturally occurring green-link. This forms an interconnected green-blue network that is inclusive of riverfront, public plaza, NMT corridors and creating a town-wide SuDS network.

A key objective of the proposed development is to become new community place which is an inclusive and attractive as both a tourism and leisure destination. To achieve this, the following five main areas of intervention with the river were identified. Each interface provides prototype proposals which can be then replicated along the rest of the river stretch.

Conservation and Public access

1. Urban Nodes - Urban public plazas, food and beverage outlets, possible connection points across the rivers can be identified. 2. Residential - Mainly natural and with small neighbourhood scale urban zones, community driven, leisure. The residential further divides into active zones which would have some river side sporting areas and calmer wilderness walk zones. 3. Educational - Natural and urban mixed, providing for larger gathering spaces and events.

Conservation, Irrigation

4. Agricultural - Natural, increased flood protection to guard against seasonal flash floods.

Conservation, Anti-pollution

5. Industrial – Any industrial development would need to be sufficiently set back from the river so as to avoid damaging environmental impacts, and on the public realm.

Figure 4-23 – Diagram showing various proposed nodes in context of the proposed township plan

Source: Atkins analysis

While these have different activity and urbanization levels, the overall intention of the river park, and its in-city offshoot, – Wote City Park, is to be a natural reserve zone, where the growing town can experience the undisturbed natural environment.

The following interventions are proposed at the key points.

A. Educational, Neighbourhood– Event Spaces, Plaza, Walk Loops, Viewing Deck

The context for Node A is a proposed mix of residential and ECDC Educational, and a current active riverfront zone for the town. The design intent of the node will be to cater to a diverse age group but predominantly the educational facility users and families creating an active, healthy zone with the scale of spaces that cater for both individual and group experience. Considering that the northern side of the node is a viable future eco-tourism hospitality node, both the sides will in future benefit from visual connectivity but no actual transit connection thus allowing each to its safe privacy limits.

B. Urban – Vehicular Access Point to the Riverfront Park, food and beverage outlets, Plaza

Node B is strategically located adjacent to the Machakos-Wote-Makindu Road, which would be a commercial land use aggregator as Wote Town grows to the north. A site could be identified off the B60 on either side which becomes the vehicular access/ drop off point for the Kaiti River Park, especially for out-of-town visitors driving through. As an urban node, it would include leisure, dining, start of the natural walking trail and a future pedestrian connection to the mirror node to north. C. Wote City Park – Community spine and integration with the blue-green infrastructure

The Node C changes character across the city’s length – from a natural riverfront zone to an in-city wilderness park, and becomes an urban park surrounded by plaza and urban spaces when it reaches the commercial zone. The intent is to secure the city park as a pleasing riparian reserve and ecological lung of the city instead of letting it get encroached by commercial activity. This seclusion/exclusivity will also foster the adjoining zones to grow commercial value in both residential as well as commercial. It’s essential to note that the Node C specifically enmeshes the natural park with the larger NMT network of the city and connecting it to different natural and public zones.

D. Neighbourhood Park – Residential, Natural, Sensory

Different neighbourhood nodes will cater to different levels of activity and urbanization, being closer to the Node D which mainly focuses on natural experience in a residential context, this node is imagined in continuity with the natural edge of the river with activities like walks, natural zones, vegetal regeneration, and seasonal bio-retention ponds, etc. – providing calming eco-driven everyday activities for the town, making it a prototype example for a calm and passive neighbourhood edge.

E. Neighbourhood Park – Residential, Active, Urban

Node E is a current active riverfront zone for the town accessed specifically by the youth population for picnic, play and enjoying the river. This would be developed with an active character, supporting sports areas, an open-air gym, active excursion trails, etc. F. Protection from soil mining, run off pollution.

Node F is currently adjacent to proposed industrial land use. Industrial uses are typically better suited away from the ecological assets like rivers, to avoid issue related to air pollution, water contamination due to dumping/discharge, and thus risk to spoil the riverfront. It has also the potential adverse effect of creating a public realm access gap affecting the connectivity of the river’s edge and could represent a safety concern.

An appropriate alternative would be to allot this parcel to leisure and mixed-use cultural district to achieve a satellite urban node with cultural spaces as part of the city’s land use mix, along with dining, retail and event spaces. Node F’s location is the northern gateway to the urban section of the park and the hinge of the city with the northern headland.