Environmental Planning in Mass Housing Schemes: Strategies for Achieving Inclusive and Safe Urban Communities

The layout of plots, arrangement of buildings and management of spaces between buildings in residential neighbourhoods are vital components of the planning and designing of housing schemes. However, there is insufficient empirical evidence on how these environmental planning and architectural design strategies can contribute to security of lives and property in mass housing schemes, especially in a developing country like Nigeria that is confronted with different kinds of security challenges. This chapter presents and discusses the findings of a study conducted to examine the influence of residential neighbourhood planning and design of housing units on the security of lives and property in 12 selected public mass housing estates developed by the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria. The data were derived from a household survey involving 1036 residents in different LSDPC housing estates in the Lagos metropolis. The results of the descriptive statistics and content analysis of the data reveal the predominant layout patterns of the estates, the design and construction features of the housing units and spaces, and how these have influenced residents’ perception of security of lives and property in the residential estates. The results also show aspects of neighbourhood planning and design with the most significant influence on security of lives and property in the estates investigated. Moreover, the study identifies areas that need to be strengthened by housing experts, developers, urban designers and managers to ensure that mass housing schemes in rapidly growing cities are secure for residents, thereby contributing to the attainment of goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeri