Thesis:

Influence of socio-economic factors on success of urban renewal projects in Kiambu county, Kenya.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of socio-economic factors on the success of urban renewal projects in Kiambu County, recognizing the crucial role of understanding these elements for sustainable urban development. The objectives of the study were; To examine the relationship between income levels of the community and the success of urban_renewal_projects in the County, To investigate the impact of education levels on the success of urban_renewal_projects in the County, To assess the influence of access to financing on the success of urban_renewal_projects in the County and To determine the effect of employment opportunities on the success of urban_renewal_projects in the County. Using a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative data collecting, the study targeted 300 respondents. A stratified sampling method was used to draw samples from urban regeneration project managers, citizens, and stakeholders. Primary data was collected using questionnaires. The questionnaires were self-administered to the respondents at their place of work. The analysis of the data was done with the help of excel and SPSS software. Qualitative data was analyzed by use of the content analysis. The data was presented in form of tables, frequency distributions, percentages, pie charts and bar charts. The qualitative component involved in-depth interviews with project managers and stakeholders to gain insights into their perspectives, experiences, and challenges related to urban renewal projects, while quantitative surveys were administered to residents to assess their socio-economic status, perceptions of urban renewal, and satisfaction with project outcomes. The findings revealed that there is substantial influence of socioeconomic factors on urban regeneration projects in Kiambu County. The study found that; 90% of the respondents agreed that income distribution can have a substantial impact on the success of these projects, 87% of the respondents agreed that vi they could access adequate information, read and understand written information about the urban renewal projects and effectively participate in the project; 70% of the respondents agreed that financing options are available, appropriate, accessible, well informed, and affordable for community members in Kiambu County and 87% of the respondents agreed that job creation, particularly through urban renewal projects, plays a significant role in the success of community development and participation. The study concluded that social economic factors have an effect on the success of urban renewal projects. The study recommends that key initiatives should be developed to address the effect of social factors such as Increased Community Engagement, Community Literacy Programs, Job Creation Initiatives and Targeted Income Support programmes. The findings of the study will be applicable to all urban project planners, National and County government as a policy maker and scholars.