Development Control Regulations Research Articles

Spatio-temporal analysis and level of awareness of Ghana’s buffer regulations on ecologically sensitive areas: lessons from the Kumasi Metropolis

ABSTRACT Over the years, ecologically sensitive areas in cities in the global south have deteriorated due to weak enforcement of development control regulations. The present study assesses the level of awareness of the buffer regulations and offers a critique of the regulations on ecologically sensitive areas in Ghana. The researchers obtained primary data from respondents whose houses were located within 200 feet of the buffers of River Wiwi, River Sisai and River Daaban in Kumasi. Secondary data was also obtained from documents from regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency. Overall, the results of the study point to disparities in the buffer regulations among agencies such as the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority and Environmental Planning Agency. The differences in the buffer regulations among these regulatory institutions make the enforcement of the regulations complex and ineffective. The results further show that seven in ten of the residents of the Kumasi city who have located within the buffers of wetlands were unaware of the buffer regulations despite the policy’s objective of ensuring public awareness of the policy. The authors suggest the need to consolidate the buffer regulations of the various regulatory agencies within the Ghanaian context.

Development Control Regulations for Dimapur Planning area

Development controls have been defined as the mechanism through which the entire process of urban development is regulated to achieve the objective of promoting the overall benefit of society and creating a distinct image of the city. It includes guiding the development and use of land, curbing misuse of land, and promoting rational and orderly development of the built environment. Dimapur district being the commercial center of Nagaland is the most populous city. It acts as a transit hub for trading goods brought in from trains at Dimapur railway station and by road via National Highway 29 to other parts of Nagaland and neighboring states as well. The city also has the only airport in the State. Many private and central banks are also located in the city. Taking all these factors into account, Dimapur needs a holistic formulation of development control regulations for planning. As such, this thesis will look into the area of project applications for the city, processing entitlements, and ensure that future decisions about development are aligned with the city's land use policies and proposed land use regulations. According to the data collected and the analysis which will be done after the data collection, outputs like analysis of the prior and current scenarios of outgrowth development, patterns problems & potentials of the study area, and planning for the future land use and zoning regulations of the study area will be proposed. It will look into promoting urban design principles and managing the city’s historic resources. From overseeing the long-range planning efforts to managing the environmental review of projects, the study will work with local communities to enhance and preserve the built environment for future generations. This study will make an effort in building consensus and setting a clear citywide vision.

Microclimate analysis of high-density urban residential open enclosures: A case of Thane, India

Urban heat island produces a significant impact by modifying the microclimate in urban areas. To ensure good quality of life with a safe and healthy built environment, the floor space index (FSI) can be an effective tool. It helps to control the urban densities and shape the morphology of the built environment. Taking the case of typical residential development in a densely populated Indian city, an attempt has been made to explore the relationship between FSI and the microclimate of such open spaces that perform like an open enclosure (OE). Adopting the simulation pathway in ENVI-met, a mathematical relationship is established between an important tool used by urban planners and the variables of the microclimate in a typical urban enclosure. The observations indicate that FSI has a strong negative correlation with air temperature and mean radiant temperature. Evaluation of physiological equivalent temperature reveals a similar relationship with FSI, demonstrating a temporal transposition of the trend for a particular FSI range of 2.5-3.5 in the late evening and early morning hours due to high humidity levels and reduced wind speeds. The study will help the planners to prognosticate the microclimatic variables while working out the data-based, logical and well-evaluated future development control regulations.

Town Planning and Development for Disaster Prevention: Insights from Gokwe Town, Zimbabwe

An increasing number of disasters across the globe have prompted the creation of strategies for disaster risk reduction and resilience to save lives and property in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda (NUA). The 2030 Agenda calls for all development planning to simultaneously tackle disaster risk reduction and inclusiveness. This paper aims to remold urban planning for upcoming new towns in developing countries so that planners can be able to include indigenous knowledge systems in urban planning. The study was conducted in a new town, Gokwe, Zimbabwe, with a population of 8,118 from which a sample size of 229 was drawn using Cochran’s sample size determination formula and the 30% rule. A mixed-methods analytic case study was conducted to evaluate the potential of the town’s planning processes in preventing natural and human-induced disasters. The study used questionnaires, semistructured interviews, desktop sources, focus group discussions, and remote sensing. It analyzed the strategies, scope, and relevance of Gokwe town disaster risk-reduction strategies and their integration into town planning and development using six wards, from 1992 to 2020. The Urban Disaster Reduction Index (UDRI) model was applied based on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction indicators to measure the extent to which the town council’s development planning can help to reduce disaster and foster sustainable development. The UDRI was calculated for the four Sendai Framework priority areas and proved that the council’s disaster management is weak. The chief cause was found to be the town’s development control regulations and the national urban councils act that excludes contributions from local communities and leadership, placing new town planning in the hands of bureaucrats, technicians, and politicians only. It was concluded that for disaster management to improve requires local DRR and national urban development policies reformulation.

Residents Socioeconomic Characteristics and Their Level of Development Control Regulations in Gated Communities of Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria

This paper examines the socioeconomic characteristics of residents and their level of awareness of development control regulations in gated communities (GCs) of Ibadan Municipality, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was employed in selecting 268 residential buildings from the identified 23 gated communities in the five (5) local government areas (LGAs) of Ibadan Municipality. Random sampling technique was employed in selection one gated community in each of the situated housing schemes of the LGAs of Ibadan Municipality. Findings revealed that socioeconomic characteristics of the people is a determinant in evaluating residents’ awareness and compliance with development control issues. This is substantiated with chi-square and ANOVA test result that revealed a significant relationship between marital status and their level of awareness of development control regulations with χ 2 = 0.630 and significant at p ≤ 0.05 level as well as income of residents and level of awareness with [F (238, 2) = 2.286 and significant at p = 0.104 < 0.05 levels. The study further revealed that the levels of residents’ awareness with the identified elements of physical planning regulations and practices across the three GCs were a little above average. The paper concluded that efforts should be put in place to improve or enhance the socioeconomic characteristics of the residents which will invariably improve their level of awareness of development control regulations and will surely impact on their compliance. Keywords: Gated Communities, Awareness, Ibadan Municipality, Socioeconomic Characteristics DOI: 10.7176/JEES/13-2-03 Publication date: March 31 st 2023

Incremental housing and compliance with development control in urban Ghana

ABSTRACT The challenges in meeting housing demand in African cities have manifested in increased attention to encouraging and adopting incremental housing approach to address the persistent housing deficits with recourse to development control measures. Relatedly, there have been calls to recognize and understand how attitudes of incremental builders or homeowners conform to development control measures from an African perspective. Using Kumasi as a case study, this paper inquires: in what ways can the attitudes of homeowners be used to address housing challenges via incrementalism and how can perceptions inform development control toward sustainability of cities? The findings show that despite the existence of various development control measures to promote orderly human settlement development, incremental housing development does not conform to such regulations due to low knowledge of builders on existing measures, avoidance of incurring additional costs, unnecessary formality and bureaucratic nature of permit acquisition process, and failure of city authorities to strictly enforce regulations. The study concludes that perception and awareness on development control regulations influence attitudes toward compliance. Hence, the need to sensitize and integrate attitudes and knowledge of homeowners into urban planning efforts to safeguard the urban landscape.

An Assessment of the Relationship between Built Environment and Socioeconomic Factors with the Incidence of Meningococcal Meningitis in Kaduna Urban Area, Nigeria

Meningococcal meningitis is an airborne disease that has been a threat to human life in many regions of the world, especially in West Africa. The disease has caused permanent physical impairment to some of its victims and many lives have been lost due to the disease. Factors that are associated with the incidence of the disease which are geographically referenced include built environment, geographical location and climatic conditions. Others are socioeconomic and demographic factors. This study established the relationship between built environment and socioeconomic factors with the incidence of the disease. Data that were used include the incidences of the disease from 2007 to 2011, housing conditions, population density, number of house ownership, employment, income level, and the number of hospitals, schools and refuse dumps. Neighborhoods were used as the unit of analysis in the study. The method of analyzing the data includes factor analysis and some statistical techniques in Geographical Information System such as the Ordinary Least Square (OLS). The findings of the study reveal the spatial variations of the incidence of Meningococcal meningitis in Kaduna Urban Area (KUA). The study recommends that there should be strict observance of the development control regulations especially at the high density residential neighborhood. The model can also be used for other communicable disease to ensure the health of the public.

Review of open space rules and regulations and identification of specificities for plot-level open spaces to facilitate sustainable development: An Indian case

Rapid urbanization and an increase in the alteration of natural resources have led to climate crises, driving the need to promote sustainable development. Urban open space management plays a vital role in such scenarios. Research on urban open spaces has been mainly conducted at regional, municipal, and neighborhood scales. Rarely has the focus been on the plot-level potentials and management of open spaces. Therefore, the study looks into the Indian development control rules and regulations and identifies that although these stipulate the percentage of open space for development on each plot, specificities for open spaces are unclear. Further, the study analyses quantitative and qualitative aspects of open spaces for selected group housing schemes in Pune city. The inquiry shows that per capita open space in Pune is comparatively lower than national standards. The quantitative aspects include FSI, building ground coverage, built-up area, number of floors, and number of dwelling units, and each relates to open spaces in one way or another. The qualitative interpretations disclose that a plot-level open space can significantly impact the regional-level open space network. Hence, the research advocates a bottom-up approach wherein plot-level open space can become the focus in formulating new norms and policies for sustainable development.

Sustainability Challenges for Sprawling Dhaka

Dhaka’s sprawled area is likely to supersede the total land area of the Dhaka city in the near future. This article combines quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate sustainability concerns that have arisen because of irregular and rapid sprawling in Dhaka. Land cover change detection reveals that since 1991, the city outskirts have seen an addition of 234 square kilometres of built-up area. Spatial metrics show the dynamic process of infill and the fragmented transformation of land covers in Dhaka, which have led to low-density, leapfrog and ribbon sprawling. The city outskirts, especially the economically advantaged regions, have been observing rapid urban densification of neighbourhoods. Field observation and interviews in 19 sprawled areas confirm that the change has been influenced by industrialization, increasing demand for housing, high cost of living in Dhaka city, growing population and lack of development control regulations. The advantage of the sprawling process is that it offers economic opportunities, contributing to poverty reduction and national economic growth. However, the abrupt and sporadic nature of this transformation puts the long term economic and environmental viability of new business activities and habitation into question. Congested housing, poor accessibility, inadequate drainage system and sanitation facilities in sprawled areas have resulted in poor liveability and created social inequality, thus impeding the way for a sustainable urban transformation of peri-urban Dhaka. This article calls for a greater acknowledgement of sustainability concerns in development control regulations and a more inclusive form of governance to deal with existing sustainability challenges for Dhaka city and its rapidly transforming peripheral region.

Assessment of Public Compliance with Development Control Regulations in Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria

The spatial structure of modern settlements is organized based on development control. The compliance of urban residents with development control regulations makes it possible for cities to be well structured for physical, aesthetic, and economic developments. The study aims to assess public compliance with development control in Auchi. A sample of 378 residents of Auchi was used in the study. The study area was divided into six strata, and samples were selected from the strata based on their population sizes. The instrument was a 5-point Likert-type option, which was administered to the respondents. The findings revealed that there was low compliance with development control standards in Auchi. There was awareness of developers on compliance but did not translate into compliance. The building coverage specified by development control regulations was grossly violated. There was a medium correlation (0.55) between education and level of non-compliance; the variability of development control non-compliance in the six quarters of Auchi was statistically significant, and the eta squared effect was also large. It was recommended that the town planning regulations be reassessed for a better practical effect; monitoring of developments to encourage compliance should be strengthened; and town planning manuals should be used to monitor and control developments.

Energy use in Building Envelope of a Residential Apartment Building in the Warm and Humid Climate of Guwahati, Assam

In recent years, Guwahati city is witnessing a rapid urban growth due to ever-increasing human population sacrificing existing green pockets. This constant increase of built form is resulting in environmental imbalances and microclimate changes, contributing in a rise of indoor air temperature and that ultimately results a gradual increase in the energy consumption to maintain indoor thermal comfort in the inner-city areas. Although the urban growth pattern of Guwahati is controlled by prevailing GMDA building bye-laws, these building parameters are unable to control the organic growth of the city since there is no climate-sensitive approach available in the GMDA bye-laws. This paper aims to discuss the energy use in the building envelope by analysing the energy efficiency of a residential apartment building of Guwahati and reviews most common energy efficient codes that influences the heat gain or loss, natural ventilation, and day lighting, which, in turn, determines indoor temperatures, thermal comfort, and sensible cooling or heating demand inside urban residential buildings. Four relationships of building parameters are studied and analysed their impact on energy use. The amount of heat gain or loss, natural ventilation and day lighting that are allowed by building envelop will be calculated for each relationships and compared. All the relationships specify building envelope design that helps to improve the energy efficiency in residential building, but none suggested a basis for its proportion. This paper analyses the use of daylight and natural ventilation within a building envelope helps to minimise the energy consumption. A climate conscious urban design approach associating common energy codes such as window to floor area (WFR) ratio, Visual light transmittance (VLT) and residential envelope transmittance value (RETV) against average daylight and natural ventilation can be utilised as preliminary urban design techniques in development control regulations especially in the residential zones in the inner-city areas of Guwahati metropolitan development authority (GMDA).

Association between architectural parameters and burden of tuberculosis in three resettlement colonies of M-East Ward, Mumbai, India

ABSTRACT Architecture and planning play an important role in ensuring good light and ventilation to provide a healthy and livable environment. To investigate the strength of association between structural factors of slum resettlement colonies buildings and the burden of tuberculosis (TB), a questionnaire-based semi-quantitative survey of 4080 households was carried out in three resettlement colonies (Lallubhai Compound, Natwar Parekh Compound and PMG colony) with questions on architectural patterns, socioeconomic details as well as occurrence of TB in any member of the household. Computational modelling for Sky View Factor, Daylight Autonomy and Natural Ventilation in the houses of all three colonies was also performed. The results show that lower floors do not have access to sufficient light and ventilation in the living area. Occurrence of TB was strongly associated with lower floor of the house, closed or only partially openable windows, lack of exhaust fans as well as the built environment of the houses. The study also traced back the poor conditions of light and ventilation to the relaxations in development control regulations given to rehabilitation buildings. The study recommends better planning and architecture measures to bring improvements in housing and avert a public health crisis.

Eosinophil cationic protein can monitoring efficacy of specific immunoterapy in eosinophilic esophagitis

Travel behaviour varies with respect to the income. Directly reported incomes used in the travel behaviour studies are subject to the issues of under and non-reporting. To account for this, we propose principal component analysis (PCA) on household asset ownership data to estimate socio-economic wellbeing score (SEWS) as the proxy of income. SEWS is used to understand the variation in travel behaviour of people belonging to different income groups in Vishakhapatnam. We have used sample data of 2623 households collected in 2012–2013. Internal coherency test and chi-square tests are conducted to assess the robustness of estimated SEWS.Travel behaviour analysis highlights that both the trip length and mode choice significantly varies with regard to the SEWS in Vishakhapatnam. People belonging to the low and low middle SEWS group are more dependent on walking and travel shorter distances as compared to the middle high and very high SEWS group. Encouraging the middle high and very high SEWS group to travel short distances and use low carbon modes of transport will need interventions related to the development control regulations and infrastructure provision. Since SEWS is estimated using multiple variables and captures the consumption pattern of the households, therefore, it can be used as the proxy of income in travel behaviour studies.

Impact of Urbanisation on Land Use/Land Cover in Puducherry City, India

The change of land use plays a major role in the developmental activity of a developing country. Due to rapid growth of urbanisation and dramatic increasing population, the fertile agricultural land has been converted to built-up area with respect to the demand for housing requirement and to the need for basic infrastructure facilities. The quantum of open space and surface water bodies has also been encroached. There has been a rapid growth of population in Puducherry city from 3.48 million in 1991 to 5.44 million in 2011. Hence the conservation of natural resources becomes one of the major challenges especially in small and medium town. This study was conducted to assess the effect of change on land use in urban agglomeration area of Puducherry city for the duration period from 1997 to 2017. There has been an increase in population in Puducherry city mainly attributed to higher scale of migration from adjoining rural areas and medium town for better education, job opportunities and quality life. Hence, it has been strongly recommended for stringent Development Control Regulations to quantify the urban sprawl and manage the impact of urbanisation of land use/land cover in Puducherry city.

Explaining travel behaviour with limited socio-economic data: Case study of Vishakhapatnam, India

Travel behaviour varies with respect to the income. Directly reported incomes used in the travel behaviour studies are subject to the issues of under and non-reporting. To account for this, we propose principal component analysis (PCA) on household asset ownership data to estimate socio-economic wellbeing score (SEWS) as the proxy of income. SEWS is used to understand the variation in travel behaviour of people belonging to different income groups in Vishakhapatnam. We have used sample data of 2623 households collected in 2012–2013. Internal coherency test and chi-square tests are conducted to assess the robustness of estimated SEWS.Travel behaviour analysis highlights that both the trip length and mode choice significantly varies with regard to the SEWS in Vishakhapatnam. People belonging to the low and low middle SEWS group are more dependent on walking and travel shorter distances as compared to the middle high and very high SEWS group. Encouraging the middle high and very high SEWS group to travel short distances and use low carbon modes of transport will need interventions related to the development control regulations and infrastructure provision. Since SEWS is estimated using multiple variables and captures the consumption pattern of the households, therefore, it can be used as the proxy of income in travel behaviour studies.

A GRASS ROOT ORIENTED URBAN PLANNING APPROACH TO UPLIFT THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACET OF A CITY USING 2D AND 3D GIS: CASE STUDY ON MEHMEDABAD CITY, INDIA

Abstract. Being a developing nation, India is facing an array of problems owing to the huge population shift from rural to urban areas, thereby leading to an increasing urbanisation trend since the 1980s. As a result, the process of urban planning in India is extremely tedious and requires lots of manual intervention. Although the recent developments in GIS have immensely helped urban planners, extensive ground survey is still a big challenge in the context of Indian cities. In this work, the study area has been chosen as Mehmedabad which is a Tier-3 city in the state of Gujarat. A rigorous grass root oriented ground survey involving each and every household of Mehmedabad has been utilised for both requirement elicitation and site-suitability purposes. With the aid of both 2D and 3D GIS, a city development plan has been proposed for the year 2031. The planning process incorporated population projection, water supply demand, sewage discharge and road network analysis for building robust development control regulations which were essential to improve the socio-economic aspects of Mehmedabad. Additionally, cost estimations for each of the proposed sectors have been carried out so as to maintain an appropriate budget for uplifting the existing infrastructures of the city.

Development Control Regulations Compliance: Paradigm Change to Reinvent Disrupted Public Spaces and Make Future Great Place in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

Public spaces in the human society predate the built environment. Settlements expanding unto open spaces necessitate statutory control to ensure orderly development and mutual existence of various land uses. In developing countries like Nigeria, public spaces are subjected to encroachment and depletion. These result from rapid urbanization, population increase and space demand for human activities. Extant development control regulations seem ineffective in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital. Illegal development into public spaces is alarming, subtracting vital greenery and environmental quality from the city. This paper assesses the state of the environment to determine the extent of encroachment, and examines causal factors. Methods includes the review of existing planning laws pertaining to the establishment and maintenance of setbacks, open spaces and parks; and other related issues from literature sources. Questionnaire administration, interviews, focus group discussions and direct observation in selected city districts generated primary data. Findings reveal deplorable state of the environment occasioned by audacious encroachment of public spaces mainly by informal commercial activities. Ignorance of good quality environment, lack of effective governmental control, and people's desire for economic benefits are among factors responsible for these public spaces disruption. The research establishes that the city is devoid of greenery, while aesthetics, environmental quality, mobility, health, and livability are adversely affected. It is recommended that the State Government and municipal authority should strictly enforce extant statutory development control laws to reclaim lost socio-cultural spaces and revitalize urban green places. Functional 'trading/market' places should be incorporated into some of these spaces as development solution for informal sector economic activities, and thereby cater for the needs of itinerant traders and the urban populace. These measures, guided by a well-structured green city master plan, guarantee the return of the greens and biodiversity into the cityscape, and also provide avenues for making future sense of a great place in Ado-Ekiti, the fledging capital city of Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Maintaining Character Through Urban Morphology Analysis

Relating development control regulations to urban morphology analysis concepts is essential to deal with incremental change in existing contexts, relating urban morphology analysis to intangible factors of change such as land economics, human needs, politics and ideologies, helps protecting character and value of contexts from unguided change controlled by waves of political decisions, change of densities and land values. The first part of the paper discusses different approaches to urban morphology analysis, the need to development control regulations to protect character and value, the incremental nature of urban change, and urban morphology's non physical aspects effect on urban change. The second part of the paper reviews two case studies in France and Egypt to assess development control regulations in each case, how it affected urban change and area character, and examines whether urban morphology analysis was part of Development control regulations or not. It concludes with the evaluation of the second case, and the development of a frame work linking non physical factors affecting incremental change with morphological studies, showing the need to relate development control regulations to morphological analysis of town's form and non physical variables affecting form change to guide positively incremental change.

The Nature and Causes of Illegal Developments in Ajoda New Town in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

This study examined the nature of illegal building developments in the planned Ajoda New Town and environs in terms of types, number, ownership and spatial distribution. It also examined the causes of illegal developments, the control measures adopted and the challenges faced by the management of the New Town. Primary and secondary data were used. A questionnaire survey was conducted in eleven communities that had the highest number (1,643 (15%)) of illegal buildings in the New Town. A sample of 246 (15%) illegal buildings was adopted and structured questionnaire administered randomly to the owners of illegal buildings. Semi-structured questionnaire was also administered to the officials of the Oyo State Housing Corporation (OSHC) that managed the New Town. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The study revealed that 65% of the buildings in Ajoda New Town were illegal developments built on illegally acquired land and in contravention of planning laws and zoning regulations. Non-payment of compensation to and non-relocation of people whose lands were acquired and weak enforcement of development control regulations by the OSHC caused the illegal developments. The study concluded that uncompensated inadequately compensated people contributed to the illegal building development in Ajoda New Town. Provision of adequate compensation and resettlement of the settlers; effective development control; and the re-creation of former Ajoda New Town Property Development Corporation were strategies recommended to address identified challenges.

The Nature and Consequences of Physical Development under Overhead Electricity Power Lines (EPLs) in Ibadan

Infringement by the public through various physical development activities on lands under overhead electricity power lines (EPLs) has become a widespread practice in Nigerian cities in recent years. This study investigated the scenario along four feeders in Akinyele local government area (LGA) of Ibadan, Oyo State. Investigations revealed the causes of indiscriminate physical development and habitation of right-of-way of EPLs as: weak enforcement of development control regulations along transmission lines, lack of strong political will, shortage of manpower, inadequate operational funds, lack of cooperation between planning agency and electricity provider, and ignorance/lackadaisical attitude of the public to the effects of living under EPLs. Further analysis indicated significant difference in the distribution of ailments (such as high blood pressure, arthritis and skin cancer) between permanent and temporary structures under overhead EPLs in the study area (-0-2 = 9.19 (df = 4), P < 0.05). The paper advocates for a strong political will and strengthening of local planning authorities for effective control of physical developments among other mitigation measures.