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Physical & Land Use Planning

Plans and policy that guide land use, settlement growth and investment.

A bridge crossing a river and the surrounding landscape.

Give growth a clear spatial direction

Where should a town grow? Which places need services first? How can land accommodate housing, jobs, movement and public space without creating avoidable conflicts? Physical and land use planning turns those questions into mapped proposals, development guidance and a practical programme of action.

We support public authorities, institutions, landowners and development partners. Your commission starts with the decision you need to make, the area involved and the people affected. This helps define a useful planning brief before detailed studies begin.

Choose the planning task

What your commission can deliver

  • A shared evidence base: a spatial profile, thematic maps and a record of data sources, gaps and assumptions.
  • Options you can compare: alternative growth or land use proposals assessed against the agreed objectives and constraints.
  • A clear planning framework: mapped proposals and supporting guidance at the scale required by the brief.
  • A route to implementation: priorities, responsibilities, phasing and monitoring measures agreed for the commission.

The proposal identifies the exact reports, maps, GIS files, consultation records and presentations to be handed over. Specialist surveys, engineering design and environmental studies are scoped where needed.

Our planning process

  1. Define the brief.

    Confirm the area, mandate, decisions, stakeholders and intended planning instrument.

  2. Understand the place.

    Review existing plans and datasets, examine site conditions and gather additional evidence within the agreed scope.

  3. Develop and test options.

    Bring spatial analysis and stakeholder input together, record trade-offs and refine the preferred direction.

  4. Prepare the planning package.

    Document proposals, the engagement process and implementation actions. Statutory review and adoption follow the applicable authority-led process.

Preparing your project brief

  • Location and study boundary

    Share the location and the area you need the plan to cover.

  • Decision and objectives

    Explain the decision you need to make and what the commission should resolve.

  • Existing information

    Provide available plans, previous studies, maps or datasets.

  • Programme and commissioning context

    Indicate your intended timetable. Public bodies can also share the terms of reference and procurement context.

You do not need a complete document pack to begin. We can identify the information gaps and agree what is needed for the brief.

Technical and statutory context

  • Kenyan planning instruments have distinct mandates and preparation processes. A County Spatial Plan under the County Governments Act and a county physical and land use development plan under the Physical and Land Use Planning Act should be identified precisely in the brief. A policy study or metropolitan strategy is also scoped according to its purpose; its title alone does not make it a statutory plan.

    We confirm the applicable planning instrument, commissioning authority, required professional inputs, consultation responsibilities and review stages before work begins. The Ministry's Physical and Land Use Planning Handbook provides technical context.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an area plan or a property application? If your immediate question concerns a particular parcel's use, subdivision or an existing permission, start with Development Approvals & Land Advisory. Wider settlement or area growth questions belong here.
Can you work with existing studies? Yes. We first assess their relevance, age, coverage and permitted use, then identify any additional work required.
How are fees and programmes set? They depend on the boundary, evidence needs, consultation, outputs and review stages. The written scope separates professional work from authority processes and third-party costs.

Discuss your project

Tell us where you are working and what you need the plan to resolve. Discuss your planning brief →

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