Planning Legislation and Urban Residential Segregation in Nigeria: Evidence from Metropolitan Lagos
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Date
2017
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Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Ilorin, Ilorin
Abstract
Planning legislations are the legal backing that support all planning control activities such as zoning, development control and land acquisition and compensation. However, it is evidenced that most planning laws and regulations do not encourage the growth of socially integrated cities, as formal strategies of exclusionary zoning encourage the growth and sustenance of residential segregation by social class leading to the growth of cities in city. This study examines how planning legislations influence residential segregation in Nigeria with emphasis on Lagos, the fastest growing metropolis in the country. Data used include various planning legislations in Nigeria as they affect segregation of Lagos metropolis into formal and informal neighborhoods. The manifestation of zoning (density, height and use zoning) in the dichotomy of Government Reserved Areas and native communities was also examined. Findings showed a completely lopsided pattern in the distribution of services in the gated and native areas. While the poor lack requisite wherewithal to build standard and regulations-compliant houses, and concentrated mostly in areas like Mushin, Ketu, Ajegunle, Ebute-Meta, and Isale Eko, among many others, the Government Reserved Areas such as Ogudu, Lekki and Ikoyi among others are well serviced with state of the art drainages, roads and other facilities. It is therefore recommended that since the path to urban sustainability lies in greater realism in building and managing more inclusive and socially equitable cities, the policy instruments and tools to tackle the issues of residential segregation and divided cities must be multidimensional. There must be a massive provision of serviced land at affordable prices and at appropriate locations; regularization of land tenure/upgrading of informal settlements; and review of existing planning legislations among other policies.
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Keywords
Planning Regulations, Residential Segregation, Sustainability; Equitable Cities, Zoning.