An assessment of spatial pattern of urban sprawl in JOS metropolis of plateau state, Nigeria: Using remote sensing and GIS techniques

Abstract

In Jos metropolis, urban sprawl debate has closely paralleled on urban growth trends over the past few decades. These studies indicate that it is the pattern, types, density and rate of new urban growth that creates the appearance of sprawl. Population dynamics are often cited as a driving force behind urban sprawl. This paper uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping and land cover change analysis, neighbourhood statistics, cross change detection techniques, field work on Urban sprawl areas in Jos metropolis. The paper also highlights the characteristics, types, rates, pattern and density of sprawl to examine the spatial pattern of sprawl in Jos North and Jos South. Linear sprawl pattern can only be visually seen by the road, the roads in Jos play important role in linear pattern of urban sprawl formation through road data, it helped to visualize clearly the areas of linear sprawl in Jos metropolis. An example can be visually seen in Naraguta area, part of a large high residential development of Jos north. Cluster types of urban sprawl settlement development in Jos metropolis. From the map, it shows that cluster types of sprawls in study area are found in the core city of Jos metropolis like Jos city and Bukuru in the study area. Cluster type of urban sprawl also appeared to grow out of what was once a leapfrog pattern of development in some area in the study area. Leapfrog patterns of urban sprawl appeared to be somewhat disconnected from other areas of existing developed settlement land. Leapfrog types of urban sprawl in Jos metropolis can be seen in Kuru North, Dan Miangu, Barakin Kuru and Kuru Hills.After the map of the densities urban sprawl for new growth areas has been created. The study reveals that settlement area has increase from 125.45 to 208.16 sq.km between 2002-2022 in twenty years period. It also revealed that water bodies have also drastically reduced by 3.33 sq.km and open space land use contributed about 127.57 km2 land converted to settlement within the time under study. Further analysis reveals that the urban settlement land of the area increased approximately 82.71 km2 in the twenty years’ time period of the study (2002 to 2022). Next, the patterns of urban expansions were analyzed by using mapping capabilities within the GIS and neighborhood statistics in order to show the density and connectivity of patches of new growth. Based on the density and connectivity of new growth areas, the patterns of growth were classified as: linear along highways, cluster, and leapfrog. The threshold densities are; 0 to 2000 as 30-meter pixels per km2 for low density, 2000 to 25000 for medium density, and 25000 to 130000 for high density. The results indicate that Jos metropolis did experience an increase in urban growth from 2002 to 2022 and that urban growth in the study area can be classified as urban sprawl. The density of new development is more in Jos North, but the pattern and character with which development has occurred in Jos North is synonymous with sprawl in Jos South. the type, rate and patterns of urban expansions were analyzed by using mapping capabilities within the GIS and neighborhood statistics in order to show the density and connectivity of patches of new growth in the study area.