Submit your papersSubmit Now
For Enquiries: [email protected]
IIARD LogoIIARD

Characterization of Streetscape Elements in Aba Residential Area, Abia State: A Sub-Sahara African City

Prince Ugochukwu Ofoezie, Mrs. Nkiru Bridget Nwachukwu, Ubani Obinna

Abstract

There is a dire need for a systematic analysis of the characterisation of streetscape elements in residential urban areas of Aba, Abia State. This is because there is limited research examining categorisation of streetscape elements in residential urban areas. This study therefore assesses the characterisation of Streetscape Elements in Aba residential area, Abia State with a view to providing evidence-based recommendations for sustainable urban design and neighbourhood planning. A descriptive cross-sectional survey research design was adopted in the study on areas with streetscape elements (e.g, trees, sidewalks, buffers, etc). Using the Taro Yamane sample size determination formula, households from 351 housing units were sample from the sample frame of 1,565. A multistage sampling technique combining stratified, systematic and simple random sampling approaches was employed. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Weighted Mean Score and Principal Component Analysis , The result of the study shows that the characterization of the major streetscape elements/components in the study area are dimensioned in seven components and these are Pavement & Movement (33.090%), Street Furniture (20.136%), lighting & Signage (11.884%), Landscape & Green Infrastructure (11.162%), Utilities & Technical Elements (8.156%), Parking & Curb Management (6.763%) and Safety & Accessibility. (4.608%). The study recommends adoption of the seven streetscape dimensions as the official framework and design guidelines for streetscape development, establishing a monitoring and evaluation IJGEM IJGEM IIARD International Journal of Geography & Environmental Management framework for streetscape performance and prioritizing the upgrading of existing non-streetscape neighbourhoods

Keywords

Streetscapes; Residential; Design; Elements; Dimensioned

References

Adegun, O. B. (2021). Urban green infrastructure in Nigeria: Current status, challenges and prospects. Scientific African, 12, e01044. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2021.e01044 Adejumo, A. A. (2016). Street-side space resources and urban aesthetics in metropolitan Lagos, Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Design and Management, 8(1), 1–18. Afinowi, M. A., Mensah, C. A., Cobbinah, P. B., & Owusu, G. (2025). Urban sustainability indicators for African cities: A systematic review. Sustainable Cities and Society. Advance online publication. Bowler, D. E., Buyung-Ali, L., Knight, T. M., & Pullin, A. S. (2010). A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments. BMC Public Health, 10, 456. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-10-456 Carmona, M., Heath, T., Oc, T., & Tiesdell, S. (2010). Public Places Urban Spaces: The Dimensions of Urban Design (2nd ed.). Routledge. Chen, L., et al. (2023). Multi-dimensional evaluation of living environment quality in Chinese urban areas. Cities, 134, 104178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2022.104178 Cohen, D. A., McKenzie, T. L., & Ghosh-Dastidar, B. (2016). Out and about: Association of the built environment with physical activity. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Elizabete, D., & Kristin, B. (2020). The importance and planning of pedestrian streets in urban environments. Architecture and Urban Planning, 16(1), 85–96. Ewing, R., & Clemente, O. (2013). Measuring urban design: Metrics for livable places. Washington, DC: Island Press. Fachrudin, H. T. (2024). Sustainable streetscape design based on functional aspects. E3S Web of Conferences, 519, 03004. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202451903004 Farr, D. (2018). Sustainable urbanism: Urban design with nature (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Feng, Y., Liu, Y., Zhang, X., & Wang, H. (2022). Visual evaluation of urban streetscape design using multi-source data and deep learning. Sustainable Cities and Society, 82, 103889. Gehl, J. (2010). Cities for people. Island Press. Guo, Z., Liu, H., Wang, L., & Zhang, X. (2025). Deep-learning-based assessment of streetscape quality in old residential communities: Evidence from Wuhan, China. Buildings, 15(2), Article 418. Han, X., Li, Q., & Zhang, Y. (2023). Validating immersive virtual reality as a streetscape evaluation method. Building and Environment, 235, 110246. Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate Data Analysis (8th ed.). Cengage. Haq, S. M. A. (2011). Urban green spaces and sustainable development. Procedia Engineering, 21, 601–607. Ilesanmi, A. O. (2012). Housing, neighbourhood quality and quality of life in public housing in Lagos, Nigeria. International Journal for Housing Science and Its Applications, 36(4), 231–240. Iwemi, O. (2010). Street addressing systems in Nigerian cities. Nigerian Journal of Planning. Johansson, M. (2024). Importance of implementing sustainable streetscapes in urban planning. Interreg North Sea Programme. IJGEM IJGEM IIARD International Journal of Geography & Environmental Management Jolliffe, I. T., & Cadima, J. (2016). Principal component analysis: A review and recent developments. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 374(2065). Keene, D. (2016). Medieval street patterns and public investment. Urban History, 43(1), 1–20. Kumar, P., & Puri, A. (2020). Sustainable streetscape design in urban environments. Urban Design International. Lindsay, G. (2017). Pedestrian-friendly street design and livability. Journal of Urban Planning. Litman, T. (2020). Parking Management Best Practices. Victoria Transport Policy Institute. Lu, X., Zhang, Y., Li, H., & Chen, J. (2025). Exploring the impact of streetscape built environment on human perception using deep learning. Buildings, 15(9), Article 1524. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15091524 Luo, Y., Li, Z., Wang, H., & Chen, L. (2024). Urban greenery visibility and residents' subjective well-being: Evidence from Beijing using street-view imagery. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11, Article 1062. Lynch, K. (1960). The image of the city. MIT Press. Mehta, V. (2014). Evaluating public space. Journal of Urban Design, 19(1), 53–88. Mehta, V. (2022). The street: A quintessential social public space (2nd ed.). Routledge. Metwally, W. M. (2026). Streetscapes and street livability: Advancing sustainable and human- centered urban environments. Sustainability, 18(2), Article 667. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18020667 Nasar, J. L. (1998). The Evaluative Image of the City. Sage. Painter, K. (1996). The influence of street lighting improvements on crime and fear of crime. Security Journal, 7(2), 116–124. Pauleit, S., Liu, L., & Kaźmierczak, A. (2019). Multifunctional green infrastructure planning. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. Pikora, T. J., Giles-Corti, B., Bull, F. C. L., Jamrozik, K., & Donovan, R. J. (2002). Developing a framework for assessment of the environmental determinants of walking and cycling. Social Science & Medicine, 56(8), 1693–1703. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277- 9536(02)00163-6 Reid, A. O., Adebayo, A. K., & Olokesusi, F. O. (2015). Sustainability issues in urban streetscapes: A case study of Abeokuta, Nigeria. Journal of Environment and Earth Science, 5(17), 70– 80. Shoup, D. (2005). The High Cost of Free Parking. Planners Press. Southworth, M. (2005). Designing the walkable city. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 131(4), 246–257. Turner-Skoff, J. B., & Simpson, N. (2019). Trees and urban environmental benefits. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 17(6), 332–340. Ulrich, R. S. (1984). View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science, 224(4647), 420–421. UN-Habitat. (2020). World Cities Report 2020. Wilson, E. O. (1984). Biophilia. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Wolf, K. L. (2003). Public response to the urban forest in inner-city business districts. Journal of Arboriculture, 29(3), 117–126.