Some things you only start appreciating when they're gone. As I spent some time in Nairobi this summer, public space has become one of these things for me.

In this city, most things in the everyday life are surrounded by fences. You enter through the gate, which is operated by a gatekeeper. And when you leave, you usually do so in your car (or if you don't own one in an uber, which is pushing hard in this market), just to drive to the next gate. I call it the Gate-to-Gate Commute. If you meet a friend for brunch on Sunday, you will do so in a cafe - after going through a metal detector. And even if the place has a terrace and you sit outside, the plants surrounding you will only hide - again - the fence.

Talking to any expat here, public space is what they miss the most about home. The ability to just go outside, walk the streets, sit in a cafe with tables and chairs on the sidewalk. You see people making up for the lack of public space by expanding their private space. People look for apartments where they have some more space for themselves, like a balcony, and an extra room or two. But that only goes so far.

I will miss many things about this beautiful and vibrant city - the Gate-to-Gate Commute won't be one of them. On the other hand I hope that the memory about this experience will help me to appreciate life in other places where public space is readily available.

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Please share your comments and inputs (via comment function, twitter, e-mail, etc.). In my short write-ups I address topics that I am particularly interested in because they align with my values and beliefs. As such, they are always a reflection of my ideas, thoughts, and opinions. The only thing I am positive in that regard is that I do not have all the perspectives, all the knowledge, or all the facts - help me be better tomorrow.