Challenges of Achieving Sustainable Green Space in Urban Built Environment in Nigeria

Abstract

Preserving green spaces in parks and gardens in the physical landscape of urban built environment is an action that has been identified as a contributing factor to the sustainability of urban areas. The benefits of green space in built environment are so enormous in the aspect of aesthetics, achieving good temperatures, provision of good health and so on. However, certain activities have hindered the actualization of these significant rewards negatively. Despite all these glaring challenges, application and provision of green spaces in the built environment has been practiced at slow pace in Nigeria’s construction industry. This study assessed green space in urban built environment with a view to enhancing its sustainability. Questionnaires were administered to professionals in the built environment to ascertain the hindrances in achieving green spaces in the urban built environment. The study reveals the hindrances like “ignorance on the benefits of green spaces by the users” as the major factor with relative importance index as 0.806. Green space benefits like “improving the health and well-being of residents” as the major factor with relative importance index as 0.778. The study also reveals the possible technique in application and management of sustainable green space with the major factor “efficient policy implementation of green spaces in sustainable management and institutional governance” with relative importance index as 0.789. The study concludes that unsuccessful green space provision in urban built environment is a reflection of unhealthy environment which leads to serious environmental challenges. . To enhance the sustainability of urban green spaces, the study recommends creation of awareness on the need of the green spaces to users and also there should be provision of basic laws in the city that will protect the existence and suitability of the green spaces in the urban built environment.