The Spatial Impacts of Covid-19 and Households Behavioural Changes in Akure, Nigeria

Abstract

Individuals' spatial experiences differ but, in many cases, the local environment and the society at large constitute huge influences on life experiences. COVID-19 is the current life experience that affects physical, societal, as well as residential wellbeing globally. It causes radical changes in the meaning, perception, and individual behaviours in and around residential housing spaces with lots of implications worth researching. This paper through survey examined the spatial experiences presented by the pandemic; its impacts on the spaces and other factors that constitute huge changes in human household behaviours within the low-income neighbourhoods in Akure, Nigeria. It was discovered that individual houses serve as the first line of defence against COVID-19; the lockdown imposed on cities and other precautionary measures also necessitated voluntary and involuntary behavioural changes which become visible in many households, these changes may likely be sustained after the pandemic. The paper emphasizes the need to reinforce the built environment against pandemics and also to ensure that post-pandemic residential housing designs are flexible, easily adaptable, upgradeable, and sustainable.