Nairobi

Nairobi began as a railway settlement in 1899, at a stopping point between the coast and the interior. Water from nearby rivers, level ground for tracks and cooler elevated land helped determine the site. Administrative offices were established north of the railway station, and the settlement developed into a national capital and a regional centre of commerce and transport.

The railway remains central to its urban structure. Land around the main station has become a focus for redevelopment proposals intended to reconnect transport and urban services. Beyond the centre, the contrast between established residential districts and densely occupied informal settlements makes housing, infrastructure and access to serviced land defining questions for the city.