A Search for Sustainable Dynamics: How do landscapes reflect the tensions of a rapidly changing world? Kenya, with its rich cultural heritage and ecological diversity, stands at the intersection of climate change, urbanization, and shifting socio-political structures. These challenges—shaped by colonial legacies, land redistribution, and external pressures—reveal deep-seated inequalities and demand new ways of thinking about sustainable development. This book examines these dynamics through mapping, interviews, and comprehensive research. Starting in Nairobi, a city that epitomizes the contradictions of post-colonial urbanization, we trace the forces shaping its built environment. From there, we move to Suswa within the Maasai land, where traditional ways of life meet the pressures of modernization, offering a lens to examine broader questions of resilience and adaptation. This work does not seek to provide definitive solutions but rather to question prevailing narratives of progress. By investigating the complex interplay between history, politics, and spatial transformation, we aim to foster critical reflection on how urban growth, environmental crises, and cultural heritage intersect. This is an invitation to rethink how we engage with the world—recognizing that sustainability is not a fixed outcome but an ongoing process of negotiation and adaptation.
By Petru Cucută, Rahel Fitzthum, and Matilda Grote
With the support of Cave_bureau
Maasai learnings
Cattle
Paths
Lifestock market Suswa
Inner crator Mount Suswa
Stone tools
