Westminster students visit Rwanda to develop a masterplan vision for a new sustainable community [Video]

Westminster students studying on the Urban Design MA, International Planning and Sustainable Development MA and the Master of Architecture (MArch) (RIBA Pt II) courses underwent a tough selection process to have the opportunity to visit Rwanda to develop their international planning and master planning skills and to contribute to the first phase of what could become a fully realised development serving a new local community to include affordable housing for genocide survivors and others.

The Westminster team, led by  David Mathewson, Darrell Kofkin and Abubokkar Siddiki, started the week by visiting the 15-hectare land site in Ruhanga, situated on the urban periphery of Rwanda’s capital, Kigali. There they met with the local landowners, one of whom was a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, and who recounted his personal family story and the importance of the site to him.     

During the rest of the week the students engaged with local stakeholders including the Director General …