PERCEIVED CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF UNCONTROLLED DEVELOPMENT IN URBAN COMMUNITIES (A CASE STUDY OF AOWIN MUNICIPALITY-ENCHI)

Abstract

The design and arrangement of buildings of a community’s built environment influences the physical and mental health of its residents. The research was aimed at ensuring effective layout of buildings at Enchi in Aowin Municipal Assembly. The study involves an assessment of views and collection of data through the use of questionnaire, personal interviews and personal observation on perceived causes and effects of uncontrolled development in urban communities. Data derived from the field survey was analyzed using descriptive statistic and presented in tables and charts. The study population of forty (40) was used which comprises of five(5) landowners, twenty(20) landlords, ten(10) developers and five(5) individuals. Random sampling technique was used to categorize landowners, landlords, developers and individuals to ensure the desired representation of each group for the study. Among the findings are; people build without obtaining permit which lead to haphazard arrangement of buildings in the communities, inability of Town and Country Planning agency to zone communities for physical development has created congestion in terms of movement in communities, law enforcing agencies do not enforce law on people who violate building laws which has given people chance to build without considering rules and regulations in the building industry. The study among others recommended that, there is the need to produce manuals on acquisition of land, process of obtaining building permits, proper enforcement of laws prohibiting indiscriminate development and further research be conducted into the exact cause of uncontrolled development in urban communities.