Over more than a decade of rehabilitating over 500 public spaces across Nairobi, one pattern has become clear: not all transformations endure. Some spaces remain active, maintained and protected years after rehabilitation. Others slowly decline — not because of bad intentions, but because critical conditions for longevity were missing. After working across more than 500 sites, patterns become visible and consistent determinants of success emerge. At PSN, the lessons we’ve learned have been formalised into five foundational principles that now guide every transformation. 1. Co-Creation & Climate Adaptation Public spaces last when they are shaped with the people who use them and when they are designed for the environmental conditions they will face. Co-creation ensures that communities are involved at the design stage, not after completion. Climate adaptation ensures infrastructure responds to rainfall intensity, drainage patterns and heat exposure. Designs that ignore climate realities fail sooner. Spaces built without meaningful community input are less likely to be maintained or defended once challenges arise. 2. Community Programming Rehabilitation does not end when the physical transformation is complete. When a space hosts regular activities — sports, meetings, clean-ups, performances, training sessions — it remains active. Active spaces are harder to neglect or informally take over. When people use a space regularly, they naturally look out for it. 3. Community Stewardship Long-term success depends on clearly defined responsibility. Local residents, youth groups, or community committees take on defined roles in upkeep, oversight and coordination. This shared responsibility is what we refer to as community stewardship. 4. Waste Management & Circular Economy Many rehabilitation sites begin with unmanaged waste or degraded surroundings. Addressing waste properly — including reducing, reusing and managing it well — protects the environment and encourages better care of the space. It reduces recurring environmental decline and strengthens long-term sustainability. 5. Advocacy for Access and Quality Public Spaces Rehabilitation at scale requires visibility and advocacy. Documenting transformations and amplifying impact builds legitimacy and protects momentum. These five factors emerged from repeated implementation across more than 500 sites and were formalised into the pillars that now guide how PSN approaches every transformation. Public space rehabilitation is not just about beautification. It is about structure — social, environmental and operational. After more than 500 rehabilitations, one conclusion is clear: spaces last when governance, climate responsiveness, regular use, shared responsibility and systems thinking are designed in from the beginning. Experience makes patterns visible. And patterns, when formalised, become systems.