THE TYPOLOGY OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACES: CLASSIFICATION AND CHALLENGES FROM MACHAKOS MUNICIPALITY, MACHAKOS COUNTY, KENYA

Public open spaces form an important part of life, giving services to people and protecting the urban environment. Ineffective standards for establishment, of public open spaces have always been a stumbling block in ensuring their sustainability, hence the existence of non performing unplanned, and poorly distributed public open spaces. This study sought to establish the types of public open spaces in Machakos municipality, Machakos County. The study aimed to characterize the typologies of public open spaces in order to understand the underlying reasons for how they came to be. Primary and secondary data sources were used to get the information. Primary data gathered using questionnaires, interview schedules, observation schedules and photographs. Secondary data on the other hand was gathered through review of existing literature materials and documentations of public open spaces from the county government blueprints and policy documents. . The findings revealed that there are a number of public open spaces in Machakos Municipality, with Machakos Peoples park as the most popular of these open spaces.