Exploring the impact of urban neighbourhood environment on satisfaction with life in public housing in Nigeria

Abstract

The physical, social and economic aspects of urban neighbourhood environment are known to influence the well-being of residents. However, there is a paucity of empirical evidence on which aspects of urban neighbourhood environment has the most significant impact on satisfaction with life (SwL). This study investigated the influence of urban neighbourhood environment on SwL using data derived from a questionnaire survey of 517 resident of public housing in Ogun State southwest Nigeria. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, factor and regression analyses. Difference in satisfaction with neighbourhood environment and SwL was observed and this was because of differences in the income and tenure status of the residents. Although, the result also indicates that security, socio-economic environment and levels of noise and privacy in the neighbourhoods have a significant influence on residents’ SwL, the aspect of urban neighbourhood environment that needs more attention to enhance residents’ SwL in the residential setting is security of lives and property. This implies that architects and urban designers must pay adequate attention to security issues in mass housing projects in Nigeria and other developing countries.