Urban Spatial Pattern and Infrastructural Development in Akure, Nigeria

Real estate sector has been one of the most important sectors of economic growth with public and private investment leading to intense demand for housing, land consumption and shortage of urban infrastructure. The study focussed on urban spatial pattern and infrastructural development in Akure, Nigeria. The choice of this location was based on the fact that Akure is experiencing a high pace of urbanization. As one of the fastest growing capital cities in Nigeria, Akure is facing stiff challenges in managing the urban growth leading to ineffective delivery of basic services. The methodology employed include stratification of the study area into three neighbourhoods namely, low, medium and high density. Multi-stage sampling technique was then used to select and elicit information on residential properties, their occupants and the state of infrastructure. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the data. The study revealed that most dwellings are lacking in essential infrastructures in the high density and the situation differs as we approached the low-density neighbourhoods. Based on this, the paper proposes strategies for tackling the problem of infrastructure decay in the capital city. These include urban renewal and public-private partnership approach to infrastructural development.