| Author: | Soyinka, Oluwole Abayomi |
| Title: | Urban informality and infrastructure planning : the study of Hong Kong SAR and lagos metropolis for sustainable urban design strategies |
| Advisors: | Siu, Kin Wai Michael (SD) |
| Degree: | Ph.D. |
| Year: | 2018 |
| Subject: | Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations Sustainable development City planning Urban ecology (Sociology) |
| Department: | School of Design |
| Pages: | xxii, 311 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Urban challenge such as economic, environmental and infrastructure is a sustainable development challenge and is a significant menace in developing and developed city. It encompasses important global challenges such as poverty, food, housing, energy, education, health, security, water, and governance. Considering the severity of this problem around the world, studies and practices in urban studies have focused on achieving sustainable development with global emphasis on urban informal settlement and infrastructure planning (UISIP). In conjunction with several other global agencies, UN-Habitat (issue paper III, article 22 and 18) found informal settlement and urban infrastructure including energy and basic services as a significant threat towards achieving sustainable urban development. The evidence from independent research institutes such as Ove Arup and Rockefeller Foundation, as well as several other studies also support this perspective. The challenge of UISIP manifests differently in different regions, with varying nature and severity. Thus, a comprehensive but specific dynamic approach is needed to improve this issue in different areas. Several studies have been carried out in this research area, which has different perspectives, findings, and recommendations. However, evidence from the literature review in this research reveals a dearth of studies on the relationship that exists between UISIP vis-à-vis achieving sustainable urban development. Few studies discussed this issue separately despite the argument that there is a relationship that exists between UISIP and sustainable development. Some studies explained UISIP and sustainable development by focusing on developed or developing cities, which impedes the capacity for comprehensive understanding of the causes of this challenge, while other studies addressed it from the context of urban planning, urban renewal, and design without considering sustainability, despite its severity in hindering sustainable development. Considering this research gap and the statement of the problem, which is theoretical and practical based on the evidence from the literature review, this study asks how UISIP can be designed, and integrated towards achieving sustainable urban development in the areas studied. To that end, this study investigates UISIP in Hong Kong and Lagos metropolis and develop sustainable urban design principles as a guideline towards achieving sustainable urban development. The following objectives are adopted to achieve the aim of this study: 1) investigate UISIP characteristics in the selected study areas of Hong Kong and Lagos metropolis, 2) assess the professional perspectives of UISIP in the study areas, 3) examine the relationship that exists between UISIP vis-à-vis the concept of sustainability in the study areas, and 4) establish sustainable urban design principles for UISIP in the study areas. Adopting the concepts of urban informality, circuit of culture, pro-poor, sustainability, and tactical urbanism, the hypothesis tested in this research states that there is no significant relationship between UISIP with regard to achieving sustainable urban development in Hong Kong and Lagos metropolis. Case study methodology (exploratory design research methods), mixed method data collection with triangulation techniques, multi-stage sampling techniques, and mixed method data analysis were used in this research. The choice of cases of Hong Kong and the city of Lagos utilised literature, practical evidence criteria, government verdicts, and pilot studies conducted. The triangulation techniques of data collection and analysis were adopted as a strategy to ensure the validity and reliability of this study. Triangulation techniques involve the use of more than two techniques in data collection and analysis from both the primary and secondary sources of data. The findings reflect that UISIP takes shape differently with the varying threat. UISIP challenge is associated with several factors among which sustainability (social, economic, environmental, and administrative) factors are significant in the study areas. The findings also reflect that there is a relationship between UISIP and sustainable development factors. Based on the findings in the study areas, the theoretical framework/determinants of UISIP relationship with sustainability, which include several elements, indicators, and design considerations was proposed. Also, the findings in Hong Kong show that socio-economic and environmental factors have significant positive or adverse effects on the proliferation of UISIP vis-à-vis sustainable urban development. However, there is not enough evidence to state that infrastructure influences urban informality in the study area. That is, the condition of infrastructure does not necessarily create an urban informal settlement. In Lagos, the findings are similar to those seen in Hong Kong with regard to the socio-economic and environmental relationships, while infrastructure condition is more critical for the proliferation of urban informality with regard to sustainable development. The study proposes integrated sustainable urban design principles that involve integrating urban planning and design principles with the principles of sustainability, which include a tactical urbanism approach for UISIP design, inclusive design approach, sustainable socio-economic and environmental design strategies. The proposed design guideline also includes specific policy reform in social, economic, and environmental design, and a community participatory design approach in the study area. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | open access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 991022163356603411.pdf | For All Users | 13.61 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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