PLANNING FOR MEDIUM SIZE CITIES IN KANO STATE: A REVIEW OF THE EXISTING KANO MASTER PLAN
PLANNING FOR MEDIUM SIZE CITIES IN KANO STATE: A REVIEW OF THE EXISTING KANO MASTER PLAN
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Date
1991-11
Authors
ADA'U, DAHIRU
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Abstract
Medium size towns in Africa do not fullfill their
potential for promoting equitable development. In many
countries they are inadequate and lack the infrastructure
and facilities as well as transportation and
communication linkages needed to promote regional growth,
social transformation and spatial integration. This makes
it necessary to bring order to the size and function of
settlements. The deliberate planning of new areas of
population concentration will enable a redress in the
present inequalities in the distribution of basic
services and infrastructure which are at present
concentrated in the dominant cities.
Since medium size towns are destined to play a very
crucial role in the development of spatial systems, their
future is inexorably linked to the whole system. It is
therefore imperative to predict changes in and plan for
the total system as a prerequisites for the planning of
individual towns. In Kano State Master Plans were
prepared in 1971 by a Yugoslavian Firm, Entergoproject
Engineering and Consulting company for seven towns which
were the administrative area centers of the state. The
plans were prepared to guide the development of these
(vii)
towns up to 1996. With about five years more in its lifespan,
the plan for Kano appears to be inadequate for the
role it is required and is being prepared to play over
time as a medium size town.
This study therefore is aimed at proposing a new
physical development plan for Kano based on a review of
Entergoprojects Plan which will enable it serve as a
medium size city in the urban hierarchy system of Kano
state. It is conducted in two parts. The first part
involves empirical studies where relevant literature is
reviewed. Also data collected was analyzed in order to
define a functional hierarchy for the twenty nine urban
centers in the state. A model which apportioned weights
to chosen variables is used and centers are ranked
relative to the weights they carry. It is found out that
Kano Metropolis exhibits elements of regional primacy and
the absence of medium size towns in the state is clearly
revealed by the ranking system. This is largely because
of the role the metropolis has been playing in the
regional development of the state which deprives the
other center of basic services and infrastructure that
will enable them exert development influence on the
communities around them.
The second part looks at the Master Plan proposals
for Kano which was prepared by Entergoproject to guide the
changing functions of the town up to 1996. Proposals on
(viii)
population and socioeconomic characteristics,
employment and economic base, land use, housing,
infrastructure and facilities were appraised. The main
conclusion from this study is that most of the proposals
are too general and devoid of any strategy of
accompanying this change.
A study of the physical and socioeconomic
conditions of the town at present indicates that the
proposals in the existing Master Plan are inadequate for
the role the town is expected to play. Physical
characteristics such as land used, housing and
infrastructure; and socioeconomic conditions such as
occupational pattern, educational status, household size
and income all indicate that the basis of development
that was taken for the proposals for 1996 ( a period that
has yet to cover five more years) have been overtaken by
events in the town. Practically, every urban activity has
grown to a much larger proportion than envisaged by the
Master Plan.
Considering the current realities of the town and
the observed trends in the growth of various land uses, a
new physical development plan has been proposed. This it
is hoped will rationalize the land use by accommodating
present development and infusing further growth in the
town so as to transform it into a medium size city within
Kano State.
Description
A Thesis submitted to the Postgraduate School, Ahmadu Bello
University, Zaria in partial fulfilments of the requirement for the
award of a Master of Science Degree in urban and Regional Planning.
November, 1991
Keywords
PLANNING,, MEDIUM,, SIZE CITIES,, KANO STATE.