IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

IIARD INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (IJGEM )

E-ISSN 2504-8821
P-ISSN 2695-1878
VOL. 11 NO. 2 2025
DOI: 10.56201/ijgem.vol.11.no2.2025.pg189.201

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Spatial Characteristics of Outdoor Spaces That Support User’s Activities Within Hospitals in Abuja, Nigeria

Onuwe, J O, Ogunsote, O O, and Aluko, O O

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Abstract

Hospital outdoor spaces (HOS) play an important role in supporting physical and mental well- being among patients and visitors. These spaces are often designed to serve as auxiliary spaces within the hospital environment in developed countries, while it is often ignored in underdeveloped countries. The study aims to identify the spatial characteristics within the hospital's outdoor space that optimally support users’ activities. It employed a mixed method using a purposive sampling technique, the studied hospitals were selected within Abuja, Nigeria based on their outdoor spatial characteristics. A 5-point Likert scale was used to assess the perception of both physical and social attributes derived from hospital outdoor spaces. A total of 343 questionnaires were returned and analyzed for this study. The observation of human activities, and administering of the questionnaire were done alongside measuring microclimatic parameters in three phases between the hours of 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm, and

keywords:

Environment, Hospital Outdoor Spaces, Human Activities, Spatial Characteristics

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