URBAN RENTAL HOUSING AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROJECT

ABOUT US

The Urban Rental Housing and Climate Resilience Project, jointly funded by the MasterCard Foundation and the University of Cambridge Resilience and Sustainability Research Fund 2025, is a collaborative initiative between the University of Cambridge (UCam), University of Nairobi (UoN), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenyatta University (KU) and Technical University of Kenya (TUK).

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Urban areas in Kenya are predominantly rental. In Nairobi, for instance, 91% of the households rent. A significant gap exists regarding the classification and mapping of different physical urban rental housing typologies, their tenure structures (both formal and informal), their relationships with public space, and the implications of these key characteristics for effective climate resilience and energy justice strategies. This is crucial in the context of the climate emergency, for example, the feasibility of renewable energy technologies in the rental sector and the landlord-tenant split-incentive dilemma. This dilemma has made it difficult to enforce, for almost 10 years, a regulation by Kenya's Energy Regulatory Commission requiring developers to install solar water heating systems for houses with a capacity exceeding 100 litres per day.

Urban Rental Housing and Climate Resilience project brings together issues of housing policy, social equity, infrastructure, and environmental adaptation. Urban areas face growing climate risks, including heatwaves, flooding, and storms. Climate risks impact the physical, social, and economic contexts, causing damage to structures, displacements, property loss, evictions, unanticipated rent increases, and deaths. The predominant rental housing market is disproportionately vulnerable due to ageing infrastructure, poor siting, and limited tenant control over retrofits.

Building Climate Resilience in Rental Housing will require specific considerations. Policy and regulations that translate into the enforcement of climate-adaptive building codes for rental properties, offer resilience incentives (tax credits, grants, green financing) for landlords, and implement rent stabilisation to prevent displacement following upgrades are essential. Community and tenant empowerment by supporting tenant organising and participatory resilience planning, expanding public or nonprofit rental housing that integrates resilience design, and promoting education on household-level adaptation (energy efficiency, flood preparedness). Additionally, urban Planning and Infrastructure through investing in resilient public infrastructure (drainage, cooling corridors, renewable grids), integrating rental housing into climate action and disaster risk reduction plans and encouraging mixed-income, mixed-use, and higher-density development in safe zones.

Urban rental housing is a frontline sector in the fight for climate resilience. Policies that align adaptation, equity, and affordability can transform cities into safer, more inclusive environments but this requires coordinated investment, regulatory innovation, and tenant empowerment. The Urban Rental Housing and Climate Resilience project is on course to generate valuable insights, support knowledge exchange across institutions, and position urban rental value chains in Kenya at the forefront of current debates on mainstreaming climate resilience. The outputs from this project will inform the development of a policy brief and practical guidelines, translating the project's research insights into actionable frameworks for Kenya's built environment.

THE TEAM

The project is led by Prof. Minna Sunikka-Blank and Dr Irit Katz from the University of Cambridge, England, and by Dr Nkatha Gichuyia and Arch. Musau Kimeu from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. The project team leads have collaborated with Research Associates, including Arch. Collins Aketche (JKUAT), Regina Kasau (KU), Reinhard Kamau (TUK) and Arch. Daniel Too (UON). The research associates coordinate a team of dedicated Graduate Associates who include Ernest Koyoo (UoN), Flandars Mutange (UoN), Grace Kifue (UoN), Kimberly Achieng Obuya (JKUAT), Gatwiri Mark Brenson (JKUAT), Banza Mwepu Verra (JKUAT), Hussein Sudi (KU), Grace Kavata (KU), Emmanuel Yego (KU), Britney Ndili (TUK), Joseck Momanyi (TUK) and Edwin Odari (TUK).

RESEARCH LEADERSHIP BIOS:

Prof. Minna Sunikka-Blank

Minna Sunikka-Blank is Professor of Architecture and Environmental Policy at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Churchill College. Her research explores sustainable urban development and social equity, with particular focus on women's energy transitions and lived experiences in low-income housing She has led research projects in India, South Africa and Ethiopia, examining the intersection of gender, energy and housing. She co-directs the Behaviour and Building Performance (BBP) research group and the Global Energy Nexus in Urban Settlements (GENUS) network.

Dr. Irit Katz

Irit Katz is Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Studies at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Christ's College. Her work focuses on built environments shaped in extreme conditions, including spaces of displacement, conflict, and environmental changes, in historic and contemporary contexts. Her research incorporates spatial ethnography, participatory methods, and a strong engagement with cultural and political theories, and has won numerous recognitions, including the RIBA President's Award for Research and the John Urry Mobilities Prize. Her latest publications include The Common Camp: Architecture of Power and Resistance in Israel-Palestine (University of Minnesota Press, 2022).

Arch. Musau Kimeu

An award-winning architect and environmental design expert, Musau Kimeu has over 25 years working experience as a practicing architect and university lecturer. He is particularly interested in addressing environmental design issues in architecture. His research activities are centred on the environmental performance of tropical buildings, Swahili architecture, acoustics design and natural ventilation. He is the immediate former Chairman of Department of Architecture (1 July 2015 - 30 July 2025), University of Nairobi, Kenya where he teaches Environmental/Sustainable Design and Architectural design. His projects include the award-winning Learning Resource Centre (LRC) at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi, a world class environmentally designed project.

Dr. Nkatha Gichuyia

Dr Nkatha is a Lecturer at the University of Nairobi's Department of Architecture and specialises in Environmental design, as well as building and urban physics subject areas. Dr Nkatha's research and teaching portfolio spans architectural design, environmental design, climate change management, ESG and climate-resilient building economics, as well as urban development. Her work explores the intersection of climate resilience, housing systems, rural-urban dichotomies and the resultant-built environments, particularly in African cities.

RESEARCHER ASSOCIATE BIOS

Arch. Aketche Collins

Arch. Aketche is a tutor in the Architecture Department at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, with seven years of professional practice and four years in academia. He focuses on sustainable urban development, exploring how urban informalities affect spatial, environmental, social, and economic sustainability in planned neighbourhoods. He has also participated in design competitions, earning Best Design Project awards in DesignNext Africa 2018 and the East Africa Institute of Architects' final-year project award in 2019.

Reinhard Njenga

Reinhard Njenga is a Nairobi-based graduate Architect and Tutorial Fellow at the Technical University of Kenya, specialising in sustainable design, urban planning, and community-driven development. He has contributed to climate-responsive buildings and housing improvement initiatives through roles with organisations such as Tectura International and SDI-Kenya. Skilled in BIM, digital visualisation, and AI-enhanced design tools, Reinhard blends creativity with technical precision. He is passionate about innovative, contextually relevant design that addresses community needs and delivers thoughtful, high-quality architectural solutions.

Regina Wango Kasau

A Landscape Architect and Tutorial Fellow at Kenyatta University, Department of Architecture & Interior Design. With a robust academic foundation in both Architecture (Environmental Design option) and Landscape Architecture, she conveys a profound understanding of how built and natural environments interact to influence ecological and human wellbeing. Her research spans conservation of cultural landscapes, outdoor thermal comfort, and environmental psychology in correctional facilities.

Arch. Daniel Too

Daniel Too is a registered architect and tutorial fellow at the University of Nairobi, Department of Architecture. He is an Environmental Design Expert focusing on sustainable, climate-responsive, and energy-efficient built environments. He has specialised in acoustic design, integrating advanced sound design principles into architectural solutions to enhance user comfort and spatial quality. Currently a PhD candidate, he is focusing on Smart Acoustic solutions for large gathering spaces exploring the intersection of environmental acoustic performance, occupant well-being, and innovative design methodologies. He is an EDGE Expert advocating for resource-efficient building practices supporting project teams in achieving green building standards.

RESEARCH ASSISTANTS _5th YEAR ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS (2025/2026)