EFFECT OF LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES ON RESIDENTIAL BUILDING SITE PLAN IN SATELLITE TOWN, LAGOS, NIGERIA

Abstract

As population increases, peoples’ relocation and spread from existing areas, pressures on building and undeveloped lands have become severe. There are signs of ineffectiveness in the design of most residential plots in addressing the thermal comfort, plot aesthetics and environmental quality. These are mainly due to the problems of design, planning, regulatory and administrative frame work within which physical development take place. The research is set at assessing landscaping and management issues in open spaces within approved setbacks of residential buildings in Satellite town, Lagos, Nigeria using Low Impact development approach. The research methodology focused on the effect of non-structural low impact development infiltration strategy on residential building site plans in Satellite town, Lagos, Nigeria. Research questionnaires were distributed to elicit information on socio-economic status, residential site status, and low impact development status in the study area. Perceptions from the residential site development as it relates to thermal comfort, plot aesthetics and environmental quality were also elicited. Qualitative data were also extracted from field observations and case studies carried out. Analyses were carried out using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 21 and Tobit statistical model. The study reveals that thermal comfort, environmental aesthetics and environmental quality of a residential site are largely dependent on setback distance and the state of setback ground. The study therefore concludes that Government’s implementation of a certain area for unpaving on the residential site during site development, presented during approval and adequate monitoring during construction, will enhance the achievement of environmental sustenance and human wellbeing within residential plots.