Kounkuey Design Initiative

We are excited to share the Technical brief co-developed by Architectural Association of Kenya and ITDP Africa which highlights our take on the ongoing 28 KM of road developments in Kibera by Nairobi Metropolitan Services, NMS, and Kenya Urban Roads Authority. Kindly access it here: https://bit.ly/3nriF85 We invite you to join us this Friday at 12:00pm as we unwrap this Technical brief together with #Kibera residents. The conversation will take place on our community Facebo...ok page - Tujipange Mtaani_Kibera https://facebook.com/groups/897486310660671 #gumzomtaani See more

Check out this article on how Weather Forecasts are Changing Lives in Kenya and Tanzania https://glblctzn.co/e/BGFscEINEfb KDI is glad to have been part of this project alongside CCI Tanzania Resurgence Met Office #DARAJA #climatechange #wiser #globalcitizen

KDI and MIT DUSP wish to collect data on the perception of the Kibera community in the ongoing road construction by Nairobi Metropolitan Services, NMS. We invite Kibera residents to take a few minutes to fill in this online survey https://kpspin.herokuapp.com

In the summer of 1965, on vineyards across the Coachella Valley, hundreds of predominantly Filipino grape pickers joined in collective action, striking for fair wages and better conditions. Led by the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) and its president Larry Itliong, the strike took only a week before farm owners agreed to the workers’ conditions. Just months later, many of the same farm workers, having traveled north for the harvest, gathered at the Filipino C...ommunity Hall in Delano, CA and voted once again to go on strike, this time against the Delano table-grape growers. Without the support of the local, largely Mexican workforce, however, the strike was destined to fail; bosses had long pitted laborers from different ethnic groups against each other in an effort to suppress wages. Itliong knew this, and appealed to Cesar Chavez and the far larger National Farm Workers Association to join AWOC’s protest. Chavez agreed, and the two unions merged to form United Farm Workers, a partnership that would prove one of the most influential and successful labor organizations in U.S. history. This Cesar Chavez Day, we celebrate not just an individual, but a movementa multiracial alliance rooted in solidarity and the struggle for justice that unites communities across California and around the world. Photo via leroychatfield.us

Tomorrow at 3:30 ET, join KDI’s Executive Director Chelina Odbert for a conversation with Eric Klinenberg and Priya Parker on the state of U.S. democracy. How do we build public spaces that advance access, equity, and justice? Hosted by 92nd Street Y. Register below! https://www.92y.org/state-of-democracy

KDI, Alianza Coachella Valley, and California State Parks are collaborating with community members to reimagine the Salton Sea State Recreation Area! Check out the link below to take our community survey, join a virtual workshop on March 30, and keep up to date on upcoming events. https://www.saltonsearec.com/

You are invited! Please join us for a presentation of KDI’s work as part of the Emerging Voices series held by The Architectural League of New York. Last month, KDI was designated as one this year’s Emerging Voices, an award that recognizes designers with the potential to influence the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design. This Thursday, March 18, at 6:00PM EDT, KDI’s executive director, Chelina Odbert, and associate director, Joe Mulligan, w...ill discuss KDI’s approach to planning and design. https://archleague.org/event/emerging-voices-2021-night-2/

KDI and Pacoima Beautiful are developing a community-led planning and design process to revitalize about 0.5 miles of the Pacoima Wash between Haddon Avenue and San Fernando Road. With the aid of local stakeholders, we will host a series of virtual workshops, ultimately designing an open space that will provide a trail network and new local parks along the Pacoima Wash. This new community focal point will help promote healthy lifestyles and address public health and environmental issues.

Generations of biased planning have resulted in urban spaces that exclude, inconvenience, and even endanger women. In an effort to dismantle this history, KDI partnered with the World Bank to develop practical steps toward building more equitable communitiesa collaboration that resulted in the groundbreaking Handbook for Gender-Inclusive Urban Planning and Design. This International Women’s Day and beyond, KDI is committed to building a gender-inclusive public realm. Head to the link in our bio to learn more about the handbook. #IWD2021

We are excited to be working with the Architectural Association of Kenya, Arup , Royal Academy of Engineering, UCL and Muungano wa Wanavijiji on the 3IF project as we advocate for more integrated and inclusive infrastructure promoting localized solutions and addressing end-user needs #SDG11

What does sustainable engineering in informal settlements look like? KDI has been working in Kibera for the last 15 years; we believe that engaging residents in every development plan is key in achieving #SDG11 of making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. As we celebrate #WorldEngineeringDay2021 tomorrow under the theme Engineering for A Healthy Planet, we invite Nairobi Metropolitan Services, NMS, and Kenya Urban Roads Authority to listen to the voice of the residents of Kibera during the construction of 28km of road to ensure that the potential benefits of the roads are actually met. Nairobi County Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure-GoK

This #BlackHistoryMonth KDI wants to highlight the Black Communities we have the pleasure of working with to create new and inclusive public spaces. As part of KDI's ongoing work with Public Health Advocates to help under-resourced municipalities apply for #Prop68 funding for new parks, in 2020 KDI led a series of virtual workshops and engagement activities in Sun Village for an expansion of Jackie Robinson Park. Sun Village, a small town in the Antelope Valley, is one of LA ...County's oldest historically African American communities, the town was established in the 1950's by Black families fleeing redlining and segregation in Los Angeles. The first 4 acres for the park were purchased by the Women’s Club of Sun Village, and handed over to the County for design and construction. Today the park is home to annual Juneteenth celebrations, drawing families from across the country to Jackie Robinson Park. As part of our engagement KDI worked closely with the African American elders and youth to ensure the history of the parks namesake along with the history of the Black community that fostered the park's creation was brought into the future with the new park design. The entire community's input will be vital in creating a competitive grant application that reflects the needs of Sun Village along with the proud history so many residents carry with them.

The Kibera Public Space Project (KPSP) has played a critical role in promoting resident-led upgrading in eleven sites across Kibera. The fifth project in Gatwekera, #Kibera was co-designed with the community and built in coordination with local authorities, Athi Water Services Board and Nairobi County Government Unfortunately, yesterday some parts of the project were torn down by contractors as part of the ongoing road construction in Kibera by Nairobi Metropolitan Services..., NMS which was started on 3rd February with minimal notice or consultation . This was done despite the community group that manages the site Kibera Action Group Organization (KAGO) - having an agreement for the contractors not to demolish the project due to the positive impact the project plays in the area. It serves many residents by ensuring provision of toilets, water, laundry, and business opportunities. Currently, NMS is demolishing many houses, businesses, and community amenities to pave way for 28km of road the Director General promised to deliver. The residents of Kibera appreciate development in general, however, they are urging the government to consider their needs and listen to their voices. Many are unhappy because the road developments and demolitions have so far happened without any structured consultation of the residents. KDI together with residents of Kibera pleads with the government to co-develop the road together with them. It would go a long way to ensure that the needs of the residents are met, and the potential benefits of the roads are actually realised by those in need.

Have you watched The Story of DARAJA and James film yet? If not, check out the film KDI produced together with Ondivow Photography and Resurgence to tell the story of how DARAJA, an inclusive urban weather forecasting, and early warning system, was co-created and the impact the project has had in #Kibera one of Nairobi's biggest informal settlements. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt_SiDu54oE

We are so excited to announce the groundbreaking on the construction of Oasis de Desierto / Oasis of the Desert Park in the Eastern Coachella Valley. Oasis de Desierto will be the embodiment of community-led change -- residents and local community groups developed the programming, design, and identity of the park.