Abstract
Urban Sprawl is a disturbing issue to geographers, urban planners and allied professionals in the 21st century. The anxiety is based mainly on the social, political, economic, cultural and environmental consequences of rapid urban growth. Hence, this study examines the reasons for urbanization, as well as encroachment of urban development into the border belt. Next, the study probes into the causes, consequences and adverse effects of uncontrolled infringement and conversion of rural land to urban uses. Likewise, the study investigates the processes of land use development, population expansion and physical growth, as well as their ecological foot prints. Consequently, the study identified the major causes of urban sprawl as rapid population increase, high level of urban development pressure, provision of housing, changes in living standard, as well as technological changes among others. Also, the study found out that urban sprawl is desirable because of the benefits of spread of development, low rent at the periphery, as well as lesser pressure on the environment of the border belt. Also, the effects of urban sprawl were recognized as destruction of the means of livelihood of the rural dwellers at the urban fringe belt, land fragmentation, food scarcity, changes in the ecosystem, environmental pollution, biodiversity loss, as well as loss of wildlife habitat. For the achievement of sustainable urban development in the 21st century and beyond, the study recommends environmental monitoring with the aid of geographic information systems and remote sensing techniques, environmental impact assessment, development control, farm land policy, regulation of land allocation, sustainable land use management, as well as enforcement of planning policies.
Highlights
The proportion of the world’s population between rural and urban areas is changing fast
The issue of urban sprawl is a concern to many stakeholders in urban and regional planning
Urban sprawl is a product of urbanization
Summary
The proportion of the world’s population between rural and urban areas is changing fast. Major causes of urban sprawl are associated with the problems that are peculiar to urban core areas which force people to the outskirt of the urban centres These factors include the high incidence of crime and violence at the urban core areas, environmental pollution, quest for serenic environment, housing problem and soft escape from human congestion. People are compelled to move to the outskirt of cities as a result of the high value of land at the city centre, pressure of several environmental problems at the city centre, poor condition of housing in the city centre, lower tax rate, as well as quest for privacy In his own perspective, Aderamo (2000) opined that unguided growth of urban centres usually lead to disorderly development. Other negative consequences of urban sprawl are increased car dependency, damage to cars because of bad roads, health issues, increased energy use, high cost of services, ineffective land use control, uncontrolled growth, as well as decline in community distinctiveness
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