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Impact of Landscape Planning on Campus Experience: A Case Study of Federal Polytechnic Bali, Taraba State, Nigeria

Abdulbaque Abdullahi

Abstract

This study examined the impact of landscape planning on campus experience at Federal Polytechnic Bali, Taraba State, Nigeria. The study was motivated by the growing recognition that the quality of outdoor environments influenced how students and staff perceived, used, and interacted with tertiary-institution campuses. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Data were collected from 250 respondents comprising students and staff of Federal Polytechnic Bali through a structured questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale. The questionnaire measured major landscape-planning dimensions, including green-space provision, pedestrian accessibility, recreational facilities, environmental management, landscape comfort, and maintenance, while campus experience was assessed through physical comfort, environmental satisfaction, psychological well-being, social interaction, recreation, safety, and overall campus satisfaction. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The measurement model was assessed through indicator loadings, Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability, average variance extracted, and discriminant validity. The structural model was evaluated using path coefficients, coefficient of determination (R2), effect sizes (f2), and bootstrapping. The study was expected to provide empirical evidence on the extent to which landscape planning contributed to users' campus experience. The findings were intended to provide a basis for improving green infrastructure, pedestrian circulation, recreational facilities, environmental comfort, and landscape management at Federal Polytechnic Bali. The study concluded that landscape planning should have been treated as an integral component of campus development rather than merely as an aesthetic intervention.

Keywords

landscape planningcampus experiencegreen spacestertiary institutionsstudent well-beingcampus satisfactionFederal Polytechnic Bali

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