Urban design chaos and colonial power in Zanzibar Introduction: landscapes of power and planning Cosmopolitan lives urbane worlds: space and society in Zanzibar City Uncertain states: colonial practices and the ambiguities of power Colonial cartographies: struggling to make sense of urban space Disease environment and social engineering: clearing out and cleaning up the colonial city Development and the dilemmas of expertise Failures of implementation: circularity and secrecy in the pursuit of planning Disorder by design: legal confusion and bureaucratic chaos in colonial planning Conclusion: reflections on planning colonial power and continuities in the present