Changing pattern of landuse and intraurban transport development in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

This study investigates the implications of change in the pattern of landuse on intra-city transport development in Akure (a medium-sized city). The specific objectives pursuèd include; identifying the pattern of landuse development in Akure over the past four decades and accounting for any observable changes;  identifying and explaining the overall pattem of intra-city movement of passengers within the various landuse zones and accounting for the observed pattern; examining the efficiency and reliabillty of public transport services on one hand and transport infrastructures on the other hand in terms of their ability to cope with traffic generated and attracted by these landuses; and finally examining the implications of the study for a comprehensive urban transport planning.
The types of data required for the study include.: Landuse types and pattern; landuse characteristics; transport operations and management; infrastructural f acilities and efflclency; socio-economic characteristics of commuters, travel behaviour and the characteristics of urban transport problems. The data were collected by direct field interview using pppropriate sampling techniques and other secondary sources. The data so collected were subjected to two major analytical techniques viz: factor analytic method for pattern identification and the multivariate statistics (regression analysis and variance etc) for explanation and prediction. Graphs, tables and various types of cartographie tools were employed in the desqriptlon and explanation of the results.

The result of the analyses reveals a remarkable and rapid development of the area extent of the city between 1976 and 1986. There is also a high increase in the intensity of use of commercial, recreational and public landuse types in the core of the city during the same period. However, each landuse depicts different patterns resulting from some governmental policies and other factors affecting the growth and evolution. ln terms of urban morphology, the present structure in Akure can be said to be the result of three major processes which occurred during the pre-colonial, colonial and post colonial periods. However, the processes are interwoven in the sense that it contlnued from one stage to another to produce the present pattern. A study of the changlng morphology of the city reveals that as at 1966, the pattern of the city was one of the concentric pattern while that of 1976 shows radial growth along the road arteries. By 1986, the sectoral growth of the city had intensified along the· axial roads of Oba-lle, Owo, llesa, Ondo, Ado-Ekiti and ldanre. The result of various developments in different directions of the city
between 1976 and 1996 led to multinuclei pattern of the clty as at 1996. The sprawl of the city could be noticed along the lnter-city roads. The public landuse where Faderai and State Secretariat are located, also witness rapid growth.
A number of factors can be said to be responsible for change· in l~nduse and its emerging pattern in Akure Prominent among the factor is the state creation in 1976 when Akure as a provincial headquarter assumed the status of a state capital. This development brought about population increase and the expansion of secondary and tertiary activities for the city.

The spatial growth of Akure aise influenced the spatial pattern of road developments in the city. The commuting distance of Akure increased from 5.2 km in 1966 to 6.4 km in 1976; 10.5km in 1986 and 13 km in 1996 for the major artery ràad. The lncrease in commuting distance has impact on trip attraction, distribution and fares paid by commuters. A number of factors had been found to influence trip generatlon. Such factors include change in socio-economic characteristics of commuters, reasons for trip making · and change ln landuse types. The change in pattern of landuses in the city also had its affects on public transport services and infrastructural facilities. The study observes in many areas, acute traffic congestion and parking problems which inhibit smooth traffic flow during the day. The result of the analysis of variance shows that public transport
services in various landuse zones was not adequate and efficient. The city centre where the community's greatest needs are located experienced traffic chaotic situation partly because of lack of parking spaces.. The .different rates of trip in various landuse zones in the study area were investigated using non-routed cartographie technique. The result shows that the core area (i.e. CBD, Commercial landuse and High residential landuse zones) is concentrated with flows from all parts of the town. The pattern reveals low flow of people in the periphery of . the town while the movement in the commercial and CBD were not easily discernible (blurred).

Using factor analysis, four trip sub-region patterns within which groups of traffic exhibit high degree of similarity were discerned. The most dominant zone (1st order) is the commercial landuse with central attracting pattern. The public/semi-public landuse em. erged as domina.n t zone (2nd order) with NW-SE attracting pattern. The satelite zone. (3rd order) . include industrial, transport/communication, milltél.ry/police, residential (medium), resldential (low) and recreational landuse with NW-SW attracting pattern. Educational landuse however emerged as an independent zone with North West-South attracting pattern. lt was also revealed that vehicles . owned in a house, population of household, distance to the nearest. bus stop, Incarne and waiting time at bus stop explain more of trip generatlon than the conventional socio-economic variables.
On aggregate levai, ail trip purposes when regressed with other independent variables account for 44.65% of the trip generation in the city with incarne being the sole influence of trip generation.
The study ended with the · implication of the research for planning. Specifically, it shows that landuses have grown tremendously over the years with intensification in the core area and outward expansion in the city. · The emerging  pattern of landuse growth over the years shows that there is need for conscious transport infrastructure and service development pollcy. The study recommerids that Government should · contrai prollferation of landuse development. lt also recommends the construction of circular road to ensure immediate and future distribution of flow ·of traffic ln the city. ln addition to making provision for public parking spaces in the city.