ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS INFLUENCING RESIDENTIAL AREA PREFERENCE IN OTUKPO TOWN, BENUE STATE- NIGERIA
Authors:
Christopher Owoicho & Ann Oche Audu
Abstract:
The study assessed the physical environmental factors such as street cleanliness, access road, condition of drainage channel, layout of surrounding, waste management, distance to work, absence of pollutants, quietness of residential area, traffic congestion, nearness to market, nearness to school, nearness to bank, access to public transport and access to bus stop that influence residential area preference in Otukpo town of Benue State, Nigeria… Three sampling techniques were employed for the study. First, stratified sampling technique was used to stratify the study area into eleven (11) residential areas, secondly, systematic random sampling was used in which one household head was selected based on the skipping ratio of four (4) per interval. A total of 400 households was selected and administered questionnaire based on stratified sampling but 386 households returned their questionnaire based on systematic random sampling, but in a situation where many households were living in any of the house (compounds) selected, convenience sampling was used to administered a questionnaire to the first head of household met in such compounds. The data collected for this study were analysed using factor analysis because of its ability to reduce large variables to manageable factors. Using factor analysis, based on Kaiser Principle, two factors were extracted using the variable maximization method with Eigenvalues of 12.23, and percentage contributory variance of 87.332 %. These physical factors include access road, (.950) street cleanliness, (.926), layout of surrounding,(.848) absence of pollutants,(.825) quietness of residential area,(.895) nearness to school(.925), nearness to market (.855)and access to public transport (.924). The study also revealed a positive relationship between the factors and shows the extent to which these factors strongly influence residential area preference in Otukpo town. The environmental management implication of the study is the need for good urban governance that focuses on urban infrastructures and social service provision. The study, therefore, recommends that state and local government authorities should provide and rehabilitate the needed social and environmental infrastructures for sustainable urban livelihoods.