⁹By Dumisani Ndlovu
Mberengwa Rural District Council has been called upon to establish a new low-density suburb at Mberengwa turn-off to meet the high demand for housing in the district.
This proposal was presented by Mberengwa RDC Planners in the Master Plan at a recent full council meeting.
The plan outlines the need for 5618 dwelling units at Mberengwa Centre, with low-density housing expanding southward and high-density housing extending northward. As stated by the Planners, “We also propose another low-density housing scheme to start at Mberengwa turn off coming towards Mberengwa Centre. This centre will develop with all services provided from Mberengwa Centre.”
To address the housing shortage, planners emphasize the need for affordable and accessible housing, achieved by selecting affordable building materials and developing new housing typologies that optimize space. The Planners noted that he development of houses should make sure that houses are affordable and accessible to the majority of the population. This can be done by carefully choosing the building materials that are affordable to the majority of people.
The plan also recommends constructing multi-family apartments, socio-economic infrastructure, and incremental housing development to accommodate low-income residents. The Planners added, “It also proposes the incremental development of houses so as to allow people in the low-income brackets to develop their houses while they stay at finished parts of their properties. This is more sustainable and inclusive.”
Furthermore, the Master Plan suggests mixed-use housing developments at Mberengwa’s commercial centre, integrating residential, commercial, and cultural spaces for sustainable housing.
As stated by the Planners, “At the commercial centre of Mberengwa, we also propose mixed-use housing developments in which a real estate in the suburb is blended with different functions such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, into one block so as to develop sustainable housing.
