Journal of Studies in Social Sciences and Humanities (Sep 2020)
Environmental Condition Determinants of Neighbourhood Quality in Urban Communities of Yenagoa City, Nigeria
Abstract
The study assessed environmental condition determinants of neighbourhood quality in urban communities of Yenagoa City, Nigeria. The study identified environmental conditions that determine neighbourhood quality in urban communities of the study area; assessed impacts of environmental condition determinants of neighbourhood quality in urban communities of the study area; and suggested appropriate and sustainable urban policy framework that will improve neighbourhood quality in urban communities of the study area. A total of 399 respondents were selected for interview and distributed proportionately across 6 studied communities using simple random and key informant approach. A structured questionnaire with closed and opened-ended questions were used to obtain data for the study. Data from the study revealed that building structure, habitable space, access road, public health and sanitation condition, waste management and environmental pollution are environmental condition determinants of neighbourhood quality in the study area. The study found that most residential buildings are rooming housing and block of flats with high occupancy rate and multiple households, lacking public water supply, access roads and drainages, poor refuse and sewage disposal methods, increasing environmental pollution from noise, domestic and commercial effluences discharge, smoke from generator and automobiles and lack of planning of the communities resulting to poor environmental condition degrading the neighbourhood quality of communities in the study area. The study suggested that government should empower BSPPDB and BSME legally and politically to enforce urban planning policies, regulations and standards and public health and environmental edicts; prepare neighbourhood development plans and schemes to enhance neighbourhood quality and; and strengthen development control activities through legislative process.
