The role of industrial parks in managing sustainability challenges of urban transition: empirical analysis of the context in Adama and Hawassa Industrial Parks of Ethiopia

There is an increasing rate of urbanization across the world with various emerging opportunities and challenges that need effective management systems for achieving the basic objectives of sustainable urban transition. Likewise, the practices of urbanization in Ethiopia need to be effectively managed to minimize the multiple relevant socioeconomic and environmental challenges. The country has been undertaking industrial park development over the past decade as a key policy tool for promoting sustainable industrialization. However, there is a huge research gap regarding the contribution of industrial park development in the effort to achieve sustainable urban transition within the specific context of the country. Hence, the present study intends to scrutinize the existing challenges and role of industrial parks in managing them by considering the purposively selected parks with respective cities in the study area. The study applied exploratory mixed methods of data collection and analysis. Accordingly, it came up with the major findings on the current environmental, economic, social, and governance challenges impeding sustainable urban transition in Adama and Hawassa cities; and the significant contributions of the resident industrial parks in minimizing the challenges. Using the discussed and interpreted facts that have been derived from the findings, the authors suggest pertinent strategic measures that need to be emphasized to enhance the potential contribution of industrial park development in fostering the country’s urban transition within the notion of sustainability while minimizing the challenges.