Socio-Economics of Sustainable Built Environment: A Conundrum and Paradox for Developing Countries

Abstract

Sustainable development encompasses all the efforts to balance both the present and future generations’ needs without compromise by making important and wiser decisions. However, achieving such a feat may be less complicated for some developed countries, but it is a dilemma and more complicated for developing countries like Nigeria, whose population is increasing annually. Every population growth comes with its prospects, needs, and challenges. These include the need for investments, economic diversification, and upgrading various industries to compete globally, poverty eradication, creating more employment opportunities, increasing income and wealth to the population and the government. These are often more prioritized than avoiding adverse effects on the environment when infrastructural projects become the medium for such. Hence, this paper was structured to identify, review and discuss the conundrum that leads to paradoxical issues about socio-economics of a sustainable built environment from developing countries with Nigeria as a focal point. A desk research methodology was adopted in the study, and the results show the relationship between socio-economic pressures and targets of developing countries with the SDGs targets for sustainable development within the built environment.