PROBLEMS OF TOWN PLANNING DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Town planning is a technical and political process concerned with the development and use of land, protection and use of the environment, public welfare, and the design of the urban environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas such as transportation, communications, and distribution networks. It can be referred to as urban and regional, regional, town, city, rural planning or some combination in various areas worldwide. Town planning takes many forms and it can share perspectives and practices with urban design (Robert, 2010).
Town planning development is the process of developing urban, suburban and rural areas orderly. Although predominantly concerned with the planning of settlements and communities, town planning is also responsible for the planning and development of water use and resources, rural and agricultural land, parks and conserving areas of natural environmental significance. The major reason for town planning is urbanization.
Urbanization is not a recent phenomenon in Nigeria. Indeed many ancient cities such as Enugu, Ile Ife, Kano, Ibadan, Benin and Sokoto have had a rich history of urbanization. Urbanization however increased significantly during the colonial administrations. It is apparent that the rate of urbanization in recent period has been vigorous, alarming and unsustainable. The most serious problems confronting cities, towns and their inhabitants as identified in Agenda (2010) include the following: Inadequate financial resources, lack of employment opportunities, spreading homelessness and expansion of squatter settlements, increased poverty and a widening gap between the rich and poor, growing insecurity and rising crime rates, inadequate and deteriorating building stock, services and infrastructure. Other problems include lack of health and educational facilities, improper land use, insecure land tenure, rising traffic congestion, increasing pollution, lack of green spaces, inadequate water supply and sanitation, uncoordinated urban development and an increasing vulnerability to disaster. All these have seriously challenged the town planning development in place like Abakpa Nike. The capacity of government at all levels to realize socio- economic development and environmental protection, which is all components of sustainable development, is also challenged.