Rapid urbanization in Nakuru, Kenya, has intensified the conflict between human development and fragile ecological systems. Land-use changes, deforestation, and inadequate infrastructure have disrupted natural systems over time, leading to excessive surface runoff, erosion, and groundwater depletion. These pressures are further worsened by climate change and the growing demand for basic services in Nakuru City. This research investigates how a landscape-based spatial strategy can strengthen social–ecological resilience by recharging freshwater availability and transforming seasonal runoff from a source of risk into a driver of regeneration.
Using a design-led approach, the study integrates hydrological and socio-spatial analysis with co-design workshops conducted on site to develop a systemic and layered spatial framework for water management across Nakuru’s seasonal watershed. Three flow zones were identified within the watershed, guiding the structure of the design strategy: delay and infiltrate in the upstream, transport and purify in the midstream, and collect and reuse downstream. These functions are translated into an interconnected spatial strategy for the western side of Nakuru that manages runoff while restoring ecological and social continuity and improving freshwater recharge.
The research also includes a detailed design study for the upstream zone, testing the applicability of the overall design strategy and its supporting principles on site. This process provided a basis for nature-based and community-led design explorations, showing how hydrological performance can be combined with productive land use, ecological restoration, and local participation. The design outcomes demonstrate that each part of the restoration network generates specific benefits for different stakeholder groups: farmers benefit from improved soil fertility and more diverse yields, institutions gain from increased groundwater recharge and reduced clean-up costs, and local communities experience better living conditions through greener and more accessible environments.
The results highlight the potential of landscape architecture as a practice that links ecological and hydrological processes with socio-cultural dynamics and governance. The proposed framework offers a scalable and transferable approach for restoring water balance and social–ecological resilience in other rapidly urbanizing regions, where environmental degradation and urban growth are closely intertwined.