Abstract This article examines Darajani Creek in Stone Town, Zanzibar, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and analyses its reclamation, urban development, memory, and conservation. Drawing on archival sources and ethnographic research, the creek’s complex colonial, ecological, and sociocultural histories, which have been shaped by administrative control, public health interventions, racial segregation, and environmental disruption, are examined. While reclamation was justified through sanitation narratives, it also caused social exclusion, displacement, and cultural erasure, resulting in enduring impacts on the town’s collective memory. Contemporary heritage management must be leveraged to address these legacies while integrating community engagement, tourism development, and postcolonial perspectives. In this article, the adoption of the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach is advocated to harmonise heritage conservation with urban growth, thereby preserving both tangible and intangible values. Practical strategies include the establishment of exhibitions, installation of interpretive markers, and expansion of heritage tours to enhance public awareness, education, and economic benefits. By balancing heritage preservation, tourism, and urban development, Darajani Creek’s historical and cultural significance can be safeguarded, thereby reinforcing Stone Town’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). The study also contributes to the World Heritage Cities Programme by promoting context-sensitive interventions that bring environmental, social, and cultural objectives into alignment with sustainable urban development.
Salum et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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