AN ASSESSMENT OF LAND USE AND ALLOCATION PROCEDURE IN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

AN ASSESSMENT OF LAND USE AND ALLOCATION PROCEDURE IN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

chapter One

Foreword

1.1 Research background

Conflicts over land use will inevitably arise. The demand for arable land, rangeland, forestry, wildlife, tourism, and real estate development is greater than available land resources (Ratcliff, 1999). In developing countries, including Nigeria, these demands are becoming more urgent each year. The population that depends on land for food, fuel and employment will double within the next 25 to 50 years. Even when land is plentiful, many people may have poor access to it or no advantage in using it, especially for real estate development. Land must change to meet new demands, but change introduces new conflicts between competing land uses and between the interests of individual land users and the common good.

Land is private property and its ownership and use are protected by the Constitution (Farmer and Gibb, 1979). It is a free gift of nature to mankind. All human activity inevitably takes place on land, and increased activity has resulted in conflicts over various land uses. One land use tends to follow another, and such inheritance and use cannot be controlled. Ratcliff (1999) argues that land-use succession itself is largely undesirable and that timely changes only contribute to the inefficiency of urban structure. He also argued that there are times when succession seems to lag behind the needs of the community, even though the underlying factors necessitating readjustment of land use are not in place. The need for spatial ordering of land use aimed at creating functionally efficient and aesthetically pleasing environments for , transport and recreation becomes essential.

The creation of a balanced land-use system, ‘Urban Balance’, i.H. Providing suitable land for different land uses consistent with creating a functionally efficient physical environment is the key to land-use allocation. Goal. Land-use allocation aims to ensure the best possible use of land in the national interest and to prevent individual landowners from using their land to the detriment of society (Lawal, 2000). . Recently, there have been some concerns about the process that involves allocating land for real estate development. They range from high costs to fraud related to real estate development sites.

This is despite the common law right to develop the land as it pleases, as long as it does not interfere with or violate the rights of others. , aesthetics and cost must be balanced. According to Nwanekezie (2009), land use allocation determines where housing and new industries are located, how raw materials are transported and products are marketed, where workers live and how they get to work, and where schools are located. The location is decided. and other institutions are placed. The basic principle of allotment is to ensure that there is enough land in a suitable location for any use, to be available for provision or development until the time of need. For example, it takes at least 10 to 20 years for a residential area to be fully developed. service cannot be provided. Development deployments typically need to remain distributed over time

1.2 Problem Description

Most cities in Nigeria and other developing countries were not planned (Nwanekezie, 2009). They began as villages or trading centers before expanding into present-day metropolises. This process of urban growth has been characterized by haphazard development, poor planning, urban sprawl, and environmental degradation. Business districts often encroach on surrounding residential and industrial areas. The diversity of growth and changing land-use patterns in different cities complicates the process of identifying simple principles governing land-use allocation. Barlower (1978) argues that urban land-use allocation promotes the orderly development of a nation’s land resources, minimizes the specific problems and conflicts associated with private use, and promotes the optimal development of the land resource base. It was designed to promote and maximize public welfare. However, the main purpose of this study is to evaluate the allocation process for land use and land development in the Uyo municipal area.

1.3 Purpose of the survey

The purpose of this research is to:

1. Evaluation of land use allocation process in land development of Uyo Municipality.

2. To judge the effectiveness of the land use allocation process in the Uyo Municipal Area.

3. Identification of factors that impede the land use allocation process in the Uyo Municipal Area

1.4 Research question

1. What is the process involved in land use allocation for land development in Uyo Municipality?

2. How effective is the Uyo municipality’s land use allocation process?

3. What are the factors that hinder the land use allocation process of Uyo Municipality?

1.6 Importance of research

The significance of this research is as follows.

1. The results of this study will enlighten the general public on the nature of land use allocation and also on the effectiveness of procedures to facilitate convenient land development processes. 2. This study contributes to the literature on the impact of personality traits on student academic performance and provides empirical literature for future research in this area.

1.7 Scope/Limitations of Investigation

This study describes the process of land use allocation for real estate development in the Uyo Municipal Area.

Research limitations

Financial Constraints – Lack of funding tends to prevent researchers from obtaining relevant materials, literature, or information and efficiently conducting data collection (internet, questionnaires, and interviews).

Time Constraints – Researchers will carry out this research in parallel with other academic research. As a result, less time is spent on research work.

References

Barlowe, R. (1978). Economic land resources:
economics of real estate. New Jersey:
Apprentice hall. Bauer, W. and Gibb J. (1979). Katanes land use plan. New York:
McGraw-Hill Company

Loal, Michigan (2000). Real estate development practice in Nigeria. Lagos:
ILCO Books & Publishers.

Nwanekezie, O.F. (2009). Achieving urban balance through efficient urban land use. Unpublished manuscript. Abia State University, Utur. Ratcliffe, J. (1999). Urban Land Economy. London:
Macmillan press.