Assessment of Residents’ Socio-demographic Factors Associated with Visit to Green Infrastructure Facilities in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Despite global efforts at promoting environmental sustainability through development of Green Infrastructure (GI) facilities at urban centres; social menaces, depletion and wrong use of green spaces still persists in many developing nations. Indeed, attitude of residents towards the use of these facilities have not been commensurate to the reasons why the GI facilities were created. This study therefore examines the socio-demographic factors associated with visiting GI sites among residents of Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 1560 participants in a questionnaire survey. Descriptive statistics was used to explore data distributions while Chi-square test was used to investigate residents’ socio-demographic characteristics associated with visit to green infrastructure sites in the study area. Participants were mostly men (58.6%) and younger than 50 years old (85.8%). Percentages of residents visiting GI facilities for either spiritual exercises (male=26.4%, female=23.8%) or joblessness (male=48.9%, female=52.1%) is higher than percentages of residents visiting GI facilities for recreation/relaxation (male=24.7%, female=24.1%) activities in Lagos Metropolis. The study suggests among others that, the Lagos State government should develop GI facilities to enhance more opportunity for job generation, while more public orientation on positive attitude toward use of GI facilities should be emphasized ABSTRACT Despite global efforts at promoting environmental sustainability through development of Green Infrastructure (GI) facilities at urban centres; social menaces, depletion and wrong use of green spaces still persists in many developing nations. Indeed, attitude of residents towards the use of these facilities have not been commensurate to the reasons why the GI facilities were created. This study therefore examines the socio-demographic factors associated with visiting GI sites among residents of Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 1560 participants in a questionnaire survey. Descriptive statistics was used to explore data distributions while Chi-square test was used to investigate residents’ socio-demographic characteristics associated with visit to green infrastructure sites in the study area. Participants were mostly men (58.6%) and younger than 50 years old (85.8%). Percentages of residents visiting GI facilities for either spiritual exercises (male=26.4%, female=23.8%) or joblessness (male=48.9%, female=52.1%) is higher than percentages of residents visiting GI facilities for recreation/relaxation (male=24.7%, female=24.1%) activities in Lagos Metropolis. The study suggests among others that, the Lagos State government should develop GI facilities to enhance more opportunity for job generation, while more public orientation on positive attitude toward use of GI facilities should be emphasized.

Influence of Spatial Accessibility and Environmental Quality on Youths’ Visit to Green Open Spaces (GOS) in Akure, Nigeria

“…This choice was based on the nature of the subject matter investigated and the research objectives. The human research population included youths aged (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35) The minimum sample size was derived from the total number of visitors of 1500 per year, given from the combined register of the parks as revealed during a reconnaissance survey. Based on this, Yamane's (1967) formula for the finite population was used to determine the minimum sample size for the survey.…”

“…This choice was based on the nature of the subject matter investigated and the research objectives. The human research population included youths aged (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35) The organized green open spaces selected for the study were those privately owned and managed by individuals, those owned by the State Government and leased to a private individual for management, and those owned and managed by a university authority.…”

“…In this context, accessibility refers to physical distance and obstacles to visiting open spaces, while environmental quality includes several factors, including quality of vegetation [23], maintenance and management [28], availability of basic facilities [34], and adequacy of the facilities, and safety and security of green open spaces [32]. Another group of factors identified as having an influence on visits to open green spaces is related to visitors' socio-demographic variables [15,26,35,56]. Table 1 is a summary of the accessibility and environmental quality factors linked to visits to GOS in urban areas as gleaned from the published literature.…”

“…Characteristically, the spatial accessibility level denotes physical distance and obstacles to visiting open spaces [1]. Even though studies have established that the benefits of urban green spaces are appropriated by human beings if they are physically or visually accessible [26,27], the level of spatial accessibility has not been properly measured and integrated into the planning and design of urban green spaces, especially in urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa [22].…”

“…These include the quality of vegetation [23], maintenance and management [28]; closeness of open green spaces to the residents [29][30][31], street connectivity, adequacy, and safety issues), [32] availability of basic facilities [33,34] and demographic factors [15,35]. In Nigeria, previous studies have shown the factors that influence urban population visits to urban open green spaces include socioeconomic factors [26], perceived health [26], and social benefits associated with this [22].…”