The influences of development control on preservation of vegetated infrastructure to promote well-being for urban environments in Nigeria

Abstract

As urbanisation accelerates across the country, there is a growing need for sustainable and
well-planned urban environments that prioritize order in the physical setting in a way that facilitates the
health and well-being of the population. The paper discusses the challenges of uncontrolled development
and the huge gap created by the lack of astute adoption of a holistic approach to incorporating vegetated
infrastructure into urban planning to achieve sustainable urban development in Nigeria. The study
highlighted the benefits and related challenges in fusing vegetation into the urban and building scale of
our built environment. Extensive review, structured interviews and physical observation revealed that
there is a consistent rate of loss of greenery in the urban areas due to disruptions caused by changes in
land use, lack of compliance by property developers in both urban and building scales, gross non
implementation of Urban and Regional Planning Laws, inadequate monitoring, endemic corruption,
political intervention and lack of public enlightenment. In light of the rapid escalation of discomfort
experienced in our changing urban landscape and the emergence of new environmental and
socioeconomic realities, it has become imperative that existing regulations that govern the development
of our cities are reviewed to create healthier and more livable urban environments for the residents. This
paper finally established a set of recommendations for policymakers, urban planners, Architects and all
stakeholders to facilitate the integration of vegetated infrastructure into development control to promote
urban well-being in Nigeria.