Evaluating the Urban Aesthetics of Abuja Central Business District (CBD) Using the Townscape Assessment Method

Abstract

The original master plan of Abuja city was designed as a pilot concept for developing a sustainable city ideology in Nigerian cities. While the city is regarded as one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, its master plan was designed to reflect the modern global trends in urban planning and development. Despite these efforts, current status reveals a city that is degenerating aesthetically beyond the original concepts owing to rapid population growth, master plan contraventions and land use regulation defaults. This study aims to identify the implications of factors like land-use alterations, physical development contraventions, lack of green spaces, poor urban landscaping and proliferation of unregulated activities in major districts within the city. It analyses the Central Business District of the city using Townscape assessment of core indicators, which includes a series of features like environmental conditions, land-use disposition, green spaces, water elements and urban furniture. These features were evaluated using field surveys and visual assessment analysis. The result of the study highlights the significance of integrating urban aesthetics into urban planning processes in order to ensure the sustainability of attractive urban spaces. This study further recommends the adoption of this assessment process as a component for monitoring the performance of urban districts, with major focus on improving the quality of urban environments. Government agencies and local administrators may adopt streamlined versions of Townscape Assessment methods, which may be tailored to suit the intended objectives of city or regional authorities