Westlands planning area · DC Policy 2026
Parklands zoning
Parklands is a planning zone in the Westlands area of Nairobi. Under the Development Control Policy 2026 it is for high and medium density residential use. A building here can have up to 25 floors on the largest plots (fewer on smaller ones) and cover up to 50% of its plot. All its floors together can add up to 1,250% of the plot's area. The smallest plot allowed is 0.05 ha (500 m²).
Figures from the Nairobi City County Development Control Policy 2026, as mapped by Nairobi Maps. Updated 2026-10-24.
What the figures mean for a plot
The footprint is the plot's area times the ground coverage. The floor space is the plot's area times the plot ratio — unless the floors run out first, and here the policy allows fewer floors on smaller plots. For example:
| Plot size | Area | Most floors | Largest footprint | Most floor space | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.05 ha | 500 m² | 15 | 250 m² | 3,750 m² | |
| 0.1 ha | 1,000 m² | 20 | 500 m² | 10,000 m² | |
| 0.12 ha | 1,199 m² | 20 | 600 m² | 11,990 m² | A typical plot here |
| 0.25 ha | 2,500 m² | 25 | 1,250 m² | 31,250 m² |
Read the way the Nairobi Maps map reads the policy. Across Nairobi, a plot smaller than 0.05 ha (500 m²) can hold only one home. For your exact plot, open it on the map: Nairobi Maps works the figures out for that plot.
What the policy says about Parklands
25 floors on a plot min. size of 0.2ha, 20 floors on 0.1ha and 15 floors on 0.05ha. Commercial use on the existing shopping centre, Subject to provision of adequate parking. Infrastructure: To secure approvals for commensurate expansion of sewer, water, electricity, roads by utility providers prior to commencement of densification. Privately developed infrastructure are also encouraged upon approval.
Quoted from the policy. These rules can change the figures above for particular plots — for example by plot size or for plots facing a named road.
Plots in Parklands
We count 1,352 land parcels in this zone. Half of them are smaller than 0.12 ha (1,199 m²); the middle half are between 0.0849 and 0.203 ha.
Where Parklands is
The zone covers about 4.3 km² across 2 wards.
Zones next to Parklands
Building or changing the use here?
Applications go to Nairobi City County on NPDMS. How planning approval works in Nairobi, which approval you need, and what to check on the plot first. Many projects also need NEMA’s environmental licence: NEMA licences in Nairobi.
Questions about Parklands
How many floors can I build in Parklands?
Up to 25 floors on the largest plots under the Nairobi Development Control Policy 2026, and fewer on smaller ones: 15 on a 0.05 ha plot, 20 on a 0.1 ha plot and 25 on a 0.2 ha plot. Check your exact plot on the Nairobi Maps map.
What is the minimum plot size in Parklands?
0.05 hectares, which is 500 square metres. Land in this zone cannot be split into plots smaller than that. Across Nairobi, a plot under 0.05 ha can hold only one home.
What is the plot ratio in Parklands?
1,250%. All floors together can add up to 1,250% of the plot's area — for example 12,500 m² of floor space on a 1,000 m² plot. The ground coverage is 50%, so the building can stand on up to 500 m² of that plot.
Which wards does the Parklands zone cover?
Parklands/Highridge and Karura wards, by the boundaries on the Nairobi Maps map.
How do I get approval to build in Parklands?
Building plans are submitted to Nairobi City County through its online planning system, NPDMS, by a registered architect and engineer, and they must keep within this zone’s limits set out above. If the use you want is not one the zone allows, a change of use comes first. Check your plot on the Nairobi Maps map before the drawings are made.
This page describes the policy, not a decision. Nairobi City County decides every application. Check a plot's registered details with an official search — see how to do a land search in Nairobi.