Urban Decay and Renewal Impact on The Quality of Life of Residents in Benin City, Nigeria.

Abstract

Cities play pivotal role in the socio-economic and physical development of countries world-over. Unfortunately, many cities especially in developing countries fall short of their expectation as they assume chaotic physical expression of growth. This situation is variously interpreted as Decay, Decline, Rot and Sprawl. Urban decay is the state of urban squalidness characterized by decrepit structures, poor amenities condition, overcrowding, under provision of amenities and general deterioration of the urban environment.  Scholars of the built environment noted that obsolescence and poor planning combine with other factors brought about this urban menace in many cities. Urban renewal involves the redevelopment, rehabilitation, revitalization and regeneration of a degraded urban area. This research looks at the effort by Edo State government in tackling the problem of urban decay in Benin City, Nigeria, with focus on the cause(s), effect, the strategy adopted for restoration and its’ impact on the quality of life of residents. The study was approached by way of field investigations. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources. Findings revealed that the lack of attention by concerned government agencies and poverty caused the urban deterioration problem in Benin City. The study also shows that urban decline situation in Benin City is largely connected to economic downturn, lack of basic infrastructure and, poor planning coupled with nonchalance attitude towards public facilities by residents, and lack of environment cleaning culture on the part of stakeholders. However, the research revealed that the effort by government to transforming Benin City which is one of Nigeria’s foremost cities was generally impactful. Nevertheless, the study suggested that integrated planning and development is sacrosanct to achieving sustainable urban renewal programme in Nigeria.