Dr. D. Nthoki Nyamai

Academic education:

• 2020-2024 Doctoral candidate, Working title: “Urban Mobility and Spatial Justice: Prospects of non-motorized transport in Nairobi”, Department of Spatial Planning, TU Dortmund, Germany
• 2014 – 2015: Study of urban management and development, Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands, M.Sc.
• 2013 – 2014: Certificate in “Development Project Management”, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Monterey, USA
• 2008 – 2012: B.Sc. Environment and Urban Planning, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

Work experience:

• Since 2020: Research assistant, IPS, Department of Spatial Planning, TU Dortmund
• 2019 – 2020: Researcher on urban residential land markets and spatial justice, Development Planning Unit, UCL
• 2017 – 2018: Research consultant for urban development and land markets in Uganda and Somaliland, Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Erasmus University Rotterdam.
• 2015 – 2017: Academic research assistant, Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 2012 – 2014: Assistant project coordinator, Nippon Koei/JICA, Nairobi, Kenya
• 2011 – 2012: Graduate environmental planner, GIBB International Ltd, Nairobi, Kenya
• 2012: Associate management trainer, Van Horn Consulting, Nairobi, Kenya and Kigali, Rwanda
• 2012: Project assistant, Edge Associates, Nairobi, Kenya
• 2009 – 2010: Volunteer at Kenya Wildlife Service, Nairobi National Park, Kenya
• 2009: Associate consultant, KAT Systems Consultants, Nairobi, Kenya

Language skills:

• Swahili: Mother tongue
• English: Business fluent
• German: Competent language use
• French: Basic knowledge

Research areas:

• Infrastructure-led development in rapidly urbanizing cities
• Mobility and Accessibility
• Active mobility
• Social, Spatial and Mobility Justice
• Urban Land Markets

Research projects (at IPS):

• Sibce 2022: ICOLMA, BMBF
• Since 2020: “Urban Mobility and Spatial Justice: Prospects of non-motorized Transport in Nairobi” (PhD project)

Publications:

• Nyamai, D.N., Schramm, S. (2025) Infrastructure segments evolving through transient governance: Nairobi metropolitan services and active mobility infrastructures. Urban Studies. Epub ahead of print 2025. DOI: 10.1177/00420980251317140.
• Nyamai, D. N., Dietrich, C., Dietsch, L. C., Motitschke, L. M. and Wienand, L. (2024): Mapping mobility in Namibia’s secondary cities informal settlements: a case study of Rehoboth. In: African Geographical Review, pp. 1–15. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/19376812.2024.2403610.
• Schnittfinke, T., Greiving, S., Nyamai, D. N., Scholz, W., Schramm, S., Behrens, R., Zuidgeest, M., Rink, B., Momm, S., Travassos, L., Brauer, B. and Fischer, L. (2024): Criticality assessment and cascading effects: impacts of COVID-19 disruptions in public transport on marginalized groups in Dortmund, Germany, São Paulo, Brazil, and Cape Town, South Africa. In: Journal of Surveillance, Security and Safety, 5(3), pp. 140–159. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/jsss.2024.11.
• Nyamai, D. (2023): Invoking spatial justice in urban mobility in Nairobi: A commuter’s perspective. In: European Journal of Spatial Development. Available at: doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10185316.
• Nyamai, D. and Schramm, S. (2022): Accessibility, mobility and spatial justice in Nairobi, Kenya. In: Journal of Urban Affairs. Available at: doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2022.2071284.
• Jachnow, A., Keunen, E. and Nyamai, D. (Eds.) (2022): Just Cities. In: Trialog Journal, 139.
• Nyamai, D. N. (2020a): Urban mobility and spatial justice: Prospects of non-motorized transport in Nairobi. In: Transport Planning and Mobility in Urban East Africa. Routledge, pp. 31–42.
• Nyamai, D. N. and Jachnow, A. (2020b): A long walk to socio-spatial inclusion. In: Transport Planning and Mobility in Urban East Africa. Routledge, p. 3.
• Nyamai, D. (2018a): Inclusive Transport and Spatial Justice in Nairobi. In: Myliveablecity. Available at: www.myliveablecity.com/magazine_detail.html?str=1&id=119.
• Wall, R., Nyamai, D. and McAweeny, C. (2018b): Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment into Africa’s Knowledge-based Industries. In: State of African Cities: The geography of African investment. UN Habitat, Part B, Chapter 4, pp. 162–171.
• Wall, R., Nyamai, D. and Asubonteng, A. (2018c): FDI and the African Food Security Paradox. In: State of African Cities: The geography of African investment. UN Habitat, Part B, Chapter 7, pp. 192–201.
• Wall, R., Nyamai, D. and Malegaonkar, M. (2018d): The Effect of Green Competitiveness on FDI. In: State of African Cities: The geography of African investment. UN Habitat, Part B, Chapter 10, pp. 222–231.
• Nyamai, D. (2015): The Competitiveness of Port cities and Non-Port cities. In: ISOCARP.
• AfDB, OECD and UNDP (2016): How sustainable cities can contribute to Africa’s development. In: Africa Economic Outlook. AfDB; OECD; UNDP, Chapter 7, pp. 207–209.

Thesis supervision:

– supervision in English only –

Topics:

• Urban Mobility and Accessibility
• Urban Development and Resilience
• Social, Spatial and Mobility [in]justices
• Urban Land Use and Management

Currently taught courses (WiSe 2024/25):

• There will be no courses taught by Dr. D. Nthoki Nyamai this semester

Selected past courses:

• B.Sc. Spatial Planning: F02 "My Way or the Highway: Sustainable Urban Mobility in Namibia" (2022/2023)
• B.Sc. Spatial Planning: F03 “Displaced, Misplaced or Replaced? Spaces of Urban Regeneration and Inclusivity” (2021/2022)
• B.Sc. Spatial Planning: F 06 “Beyond Cities: Unveiling the Hinterlands of Today and Tomorrow”(2021/2022)
• B.Sc. Spatial Planning: F 02 “There is an app for that: Intelligent urban mobility, its impact and future” (2020/21)