Having a planned settlement has so far been seen as a way of curtailing indiscriminate construction of houses in the country and most especially the Federal Capital Territory. It is not farfetched to see an individual with little or no passage way to their houses in some satellite towns in Abuja.
It has therefore become the phenomenon in satellite towns to see someone parking his vehicle a few kilometers from his place of abode.
According to Gbolahan Adelaja, who has been living in Dutse, Abuja for close to two years now, houses around the area were less than comfortable.
“The houses in my area are not planned at all. Most time we have to pass through other people’s private zones to get to our place of abode. The landlords there, in the name of owning houses, built them without considering drainage system, no architectural advice, and some were even built along flood plains,” he stressed.
In explaining poor planning, Achim Steiner of the United Nations said poor planning had remained the achilles heels of many towns. He said that this has impeded both sustainable growth? and healthy environment for the ever increasing urban dwellers, adding? that urban planning could? make a critical contribution to the millennium development goals.
“The decisions made now will have long term consequences and can lock a city and its dwellers into patterns that may positively or negatively affect urban sustainability and quality of life for generations to come.
Inappropriate locations of residences and work can generate significant but unnecessary mobility demand, air pollution and traffic congestion,” he said.
A planned community is a community that has been carefully planned from its inception and is constructed in a previously undeveloped area.
However, according to the project coordinator of Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions(COHRE), Eyong Sunday, it would be a good thing if government considered having a planned settlement, adding that it would only? make impact if areas yet to be developed were made prime? targets.
“It will be a good thing if government actually considers providing a policy on planned settlements and this is what we are advocating for. However, the policies should not take place in areas that are already developed. For example using the policy in Lugbe, Kabusa, Pyakasa, would only lead to demolition of those houses. So it is advisable to go to areas that are yet to be developed,” he said.
Also a report by the UN- HABITAT, noted that: “Urban planning must become more efficient and forward-looking in order to enhance urban densities and reduce transportation needs, cut per unit land cost, provide more efficient and affordable basic services. This will require a better grip by public authorities on urban land use and land allocation.”
Also irked by the rate of unplanned settlements springing up in the country, the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) called on the federal government to provide policies that would ensure houses were constructed systematically.
The president of the institute, Agele Alufohai,who made the appeal at a workshop on ‘Creating Wealth from Construction Industry,’ added that the roadmap for the transformation of the housing sector must be clearly spelt out.
He added that adequate policies, when provided, would enable Nigerians to acquire houses in planned estates.
He said: “Houses are by far the largest asset class in any economy. Buildings define the quality of the physical environment, and peoples’ living conditions are indicators of their capacity for planning. Houses are the best indicators of social and economic progress.
“Government agencies must focus on regulatory, planned and standards enforcement roles. They should encourage emergence of major estate developers that will deliver high quality projects and exploit economics of scale to deliver cheaper houses to? various categories of? people,” he stated.