Lilongwe
Lilongwe is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It has a population of 989,318 as of the 2018 Census, up from a population of 674,448 in 2008. In 2020, that figure was 1,122,000. The city is located in the central region of Malawi, in the district of the same name, near the borders with Mozambique and Zambia, and it is an important economic and transportation hub for central Malawi. It is named after the Lilongwe River.
History
Lilongwe was first set up as a boma by the local leader Njewa around 1902, and later became an administrative centre in 1904. In the 1920s, its location at the junction of several major roadways increased its importance as an agricultural market centre for the fertile Central Region Plateau.As a trading post, Lilongwe was officially recognized as a town in 1947. After gaining independence, it increasingly developed into an important trading centre in Malawi's central region.
In 1965, Malawi's first president, Hastings Kamuzu Banda, selected it as an economic growth point for northern and central Malawi.
Lilongwe became the capital of Malawi in 1975, replacing the previous capital, Zomba. The last government offices were relocated to Lilongwe in 2005.
Development projects of the 1970s and 1980s included the construction of Lilongwe International Airport, which serves the city; rail connections to Salima to the east and the Zambian border to the west; industrial areas in the northern part of the city; and an agricultural program for the fertile tobacco lands of the Central Region Plateau. Lilongwe's population continues to experience rapid growth.
The city's population is increasing rapidly, with an annual growth rate of 4.3%.
Planning history
The first plan for Lilongwe was published in 1955, before the decision was made in 1965 to move the capital from Zomba to Lilongwe. The aims of the move were to improve Government efficiency by concentrating Central Government administration in one city and to stimulate development in the Central and Northern Regions by establishing a major growth point in the centre of the country. Consultants were appointed to prepare the Lilongwe Master Plan, which was completed in 1968. Many of the principles set out in the Master Plan were adopted in subsequent plans. The first of these was the Lilongwe Outline Zoning Plan 1969. It was prepared in order to elaborate the broad recommendations of the Master Plan and amend those aspects which the Government thought were inappropriate.The Lilongwe Outline Zoning plan guided the early development of the capital city. A liner, multi-centred urban form was adopted in order to avoid the congestion problems that can arise with a single centre. The aim was to cluster residential, employment, and service areas around each centre, so as to reduce the need to travel long distances. There were four such centres, and each one was the focus of a sector of the city.
The aim was to achieve balanced development of housing, industry and commerce, among other features. Another key feature of the city was its parkland setting. From the beginning there was a concern to create a high-quality environment with spacious living standards, as befits a capital city.
By the mid-1970s, it was felt that there should be a new, up-dated plan which would take a wider look at the development of the city. The result was the Lilongwe Urban Structure Plan of 1978. This incorporated boundary changes and new planning work on Lumbadzi and the Kamuzu International Airport. The plan was the principal influence on planning policy.
The initial stage of development was completed in 1986. The city was well established and its future growth was assured. A large part of the road network had been built and there were water supply and electricity networks. Urban development was taking place in all four sectors of the city. The Old Town sector was nearly fully developed; the Capital Hill sector was about half developed; and the Kanengo and Lumbadzi sectors were about one quarter developed.
The Lilongwe Outline Zoning Scheme was established and indicated the various land uses of the new capital city. The scheme was reviewed and the area of the city proper was expanded by including Area 56 and Area 57. Then Area 58 was added to the jurisdiction of the city according to the 2008 Population and Housing Census. The 1986 Outline Zoning Scheme was intended to promote regulated urban development and appropriate land use for transport and other purposes. The Scheme was effective until 2000, but it was not updated after the year 2000 due to financial, technical and human resource constraints.
In response to the official request of the Government of Malawi, the Government of Japan decided to conduct a "Study of Urban Development Master Plan for Lilongwe", which was entrusted to the Japan International Co-operation Agency, in accordance with the Agreement on Technical Co-operation between the GoM and the GoJ, signed on 15 November 2008. The study was jointly carried out by a JICA study team and Malawi's counterpart agency for a fourteen-month period from June 2009 to September 2010. On 20 July 2011, the report on the Study of Urban Development Master Plan for Lilongwe City was approved by the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
The Project for Urban Plan and Development Management of Lilongwe City has been in the process of implementation since November 2012, with support from JICA. JICA experts assisted Lilongwe City Council with revisions of the Urban Structure Plan.
The jurisdiction area of Lilongwe City, including Area 58, is 393 km2 and has a population of approximately 989,318 according to the 2018 Population and Housing Census. Despite the fact that the existing outline zoning scheme was planned to develop the four sectors of Old Town Sector, Capital Hill Sector, Kanengo Sector and Lumbadzi Sector, the urban area has been expanding to the southern, south-western and western areas of the old town section of the city. Unplanned settlements occupied by illegal settlers have expanded in almost all areas. Some areas have problems of illegal settlers occupying land designated for industrial development and public use. It is necessary to urgently identify and secure a sizeable land area for planned residential development.
Politics
Local government
Lilongwe is governed by Lilongwe City Council, which is dominated by the Malawi Congress Party.Parliament
The Malawian parliament is in Lilongwe.Demographics
Historical population
The population of Lilongwe City has grown from under 20,000 people in 1966 to nearly a million people in 2018. This was remarkably fast growth and has caused the development of slums around the city.Ethnic groups
According to the 2018 census, 42.28% of Lilongwe City were Chewa who made up the largest ethnic group. The largest ethnic minority group in the city was the Ngoni, comprising 17.13% of the population. Other minor ethnic groups were Lomwe with 14.48% of the population, Yao with 12.11%, Tumbuka with 6.46%, Mang'anja with 1.86%, Sena with 1.78%, Tonga with 1.56%, Nyanja with 0.67%, Nkhonde with 0.63%, Lambya with 0.35%, Sukwa with only 0.04%, and various other ethnic groups comprising 0.64% of the population.Religion
The largest religious denomination in Lilongwe City is the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian with 23.15%. The largest minority religion in the city is Catholicism with 17.28%. Other minority religions include Seventh-day Adventist, Baptist, and Apostolic with 10.35% combined, Pentecostal with 8.6%, Anglican with 2.31%, other Christian denominations with 21.67%, Islam with 11.12%, Traditional with 0.34%, other religions with 3.38%, and no religion with 1.73% of the population.Geography
Topography
Lilongwe is located on a plateau in Central Malawi, forming part of the East African Rift Valley situated at an altitude of 1,050 m above sea level, along Lilongwe River.Divisions
Lilongwe is divided into a New and Old City. The former hosts hotels, embassies, governmental institutions, and offices while the latter has markets, bus stations, cafes and restaurants. The modern shops of the city are contrasted by the street and walled markets of Old Town.Residential
There is a whole area for low density residential area in Area 12. There are some areas in Area 3, 9, 10, 11, 38, 42, 43, 45, 59 and 61 in 2030.There is a whole area for medium density residential area in Area 15. There are some areas in Area 2, 6, 14, 41, 43, 47, 52, 54, 55 and 58 in 2030.
The areas which are mostly for high-density housing are 7, 18 and 21. There are some areas in Area 1, 8, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 36, 38, 39, 43, 46, 47, 49, 50, 53, 58 and 61 in 2030.
The area which is mostly for high-rise flats is 17. There are some areas in Area 3, 9, 26, 33, 37, 42 and 52 in 2030.
The areas which are mostly for "Quasi-Residential" buildings are 36, 50, 56 and 57. There are some areas in Area 1, 22, 23, 24, 25, 35, 38, 43, 44, 49, 51, 53, 58, 59, 60, 61 and 62 in 2030. 10.2 Commercial Land Use
Commercial
The category of "Commercial" was the sole classification applied to commercial land use in the 1986 Zoning Scheme. In order to achieve compact land use and to make the city centre more efficient and attractive, the Master Plan has added another category called "High-Rise Commercial", where multi-story buildings are concentrated. This zoning category shall be applied to the city centre area.The land use of the Old Town shall be regulated as commercial. The adherence to compact land use allows both commercial and high-rise commercial areas to be mixed up with residential areas. Industrial land use should be, in general, separated from the commercial area in the central part.
Areas for this category of development include Area 4, 5 and part of Area 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 22, 27, 32, 33, 36, 37, 38, 43, 46, 47, 49, 50, 52, 53,54, 58, 60 and 61 in 2030.
Areas designated for high-rise commercial use include Area 13, 16,19 and parts of Area 31, 32 and 42 in 2030. 10.3 Industrial Land Use