MANIFESTATION OF DEFENSIBLE SPACE IN LAGOS STATE DEVELOPMENT AND PROPERTY COOPERATION HOUSING ESTATES, LAGOS, NIGERIA

Abstract

It is known that some planning and design strategies are effective in preventing and controlling crime in housing environment if properly implemented through the principles and elements of defensible space. However, there are very few studies that examined the extent to which the elements of defensible space have been implemented in the planning, design and construction of residential areas in a developing country like Nigeria. Therefore, this study investigated the manifestation of defensible space in public housing using 14 housing estates constructed by the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) in Lagos, Nigeria as case studies. A survey of 1036 housing units and residents was conducted using questionnaire, observation schedule, and photographic materials as principal data gathering instruments. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, factors, and thematic content analyses. The result reveals that most of the housing units in the estates are multiple story blocks, with shared facilities like stairwells, balconies, and car parks with little or no boundary demarcations. The factor analysis identified 14 different dimensions of manifestation of defensible space in the estates with the top three being planning and maintenance; territoriality and boundary markers; and communal activities. This implies that architects and other built environment professionals involved in mass housing development should pay adequate attention to these aspects in order to enhance the level of security in urban residential neighbourhood in Nigeria.