Urban Parks and User Well-being in Lagos State Evaluating Adequacy in Selected LGAs
“crossref”/

Main Article Content

Babamboni A. Solomon 
Ogunleye V. Temitope 
Ajayi O. O. 
Oladipo A. Dare-Abel 

Abstract

Urban parks are very important in promoting physical, mental, and social well-being by providing recreational spaces for relaxation, exercise, and community interaction. However, the adequacy and effectiveness of these benefits in rapidly urbanizing cities like Lagos, Nigeria, remain questionable. This study evaluates the adequacy of urban parks and their impact on user well-being in Ikeja, Alimosho, Eti-Osa, and Badagry Local Government Areas. Using a quantitative research approach, primary data were collected through surveys, and statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS. Findings reveal that while parks positively influence well-being, their underutilization is linked to poor accessibility, inadequate maintenance, and safety concerns. A majority (78.4%) of respondents rarely visit parks, and only 31.1% perceive their impact on well-being as positive. Also, a significant correlation (r = 0.335, p < 0.01) was found between the level of park maintenance and people's sense of safety, underscoring the importance of improved facility upkeep. The study concludes that improving park accessibility, maintenance, security, and facility diversity is essential to maximizing their public health and social benefits. Recommendations made from this study include policy reforms, increased community involvement, and more effective management strategies to enhance the functionality of urban parks for all.

Article Details

Babamboni, A. S., Ogunleye, V. T., Ajayi, O. O., & Dare-Abel, O. A. (2025). Urban Parks and User Well-being in Lagos State: Evaluating Adequacy in Selected LGAs. African Journal of Environmental Sciences and Renewable Energy, 18(1), 138-153. https://doi.org/10.62154/ajesre.2025.018.010696
Articles

Copyright (c) 2025 Babamboni A. Solomon, Ogunleye V. Temitope, Ajayi O. O., Oladipo A. Dare-Abel (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Babamboni A. Solomon, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State, Nigeria.

Department of Architecture, College of Postgraduate Studies,

Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State, Nigeria.

Ogunleye V. Temitope, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State, Nigeria.

Department of Architecture, College of Postgraduate Studies,

Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State, Nigeria.

Ajayi O. O., Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State, Nigeria.

Department of Architecture, College of Postgraduate Studies,

Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State, Nigeria.

Oladipo A. Dare-Abel, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State, Nigeria.

Department of Architecture, College of Postgraduate Studies,

Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State, Nigeria. 

Adedotun Dipeolu, Taiwo, A., & Temitope Adebara. (2024). Urban green infrastructure and social cohesion in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria. Acta Structilia, 31(2), 123–149. https://doi.org/10.38140/as.v31i2.8516 DOI: https://doi.org/10.38140/as.v31i2.8516

Ayala-Azcárraga, C., Diaz, D., & Zambrano, L. (2019). Characteristics of urban parks and their relation to user well-being. Landscape and Urban Planning, 189, 27–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.04.005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.04.005

Dada, M., Ogunlana, S., & Anakor, C. (2024). Perceptions of Public and Private Sector Stakeholders on the Benefits and Challenges of Public-Private-Partnerships in Nigeria. African Journal of Housing and Sustainable Development, 5(1), 26–41. https://doi.org/10.52968/28465454 DOI: https://doi.org/10.52968/28465454

Dempsey, N., Martínez Velarde, C. L., & Burton, M. (2019). Long-Term Partnership Contracting in Practice: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London. Marketization in Local Government, 225–240. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32478-0_11 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32478-0_11

Dipeolu, A. A., & Ibem, E. O. (2022). The influence of green infrastructure on residents’ connectedness with nature in Lagos, Nigeria. Urbani Izziv, 33(1), 82–92. https://doi.org/10.5379/urbani-izziv-en-2022-33-01-02 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5379/urbani-izziv-en-2022-33-01-02

Edeigba, B. A., Ashinze, U. K., Umoh, A. A., Biu, P. W., & Daraojimba, A. I. (2024). Urban green spaces and their impact on environmental health: A Global Review. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 21(2), 917–927. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2024.21.2.0518 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2024.21.2.0518

Favretto, N., Shackleton, S., Sallu, S. M., & Hoffman, T. (2021). Editorial for Special Issue: “Collaboration and Multi-Stakeholder Engagement in Landscape Governance and Management in Africa: Lessons from Practice.” Land, 10(3), 285. https://doi.org/10.3390/land10030285 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/land10030285

Jang, E., Hyo Bhin Choi, & Kim, M. (2024). The Restorative Effects of Urban Parks on Stress Control Ability and Community Attachment. Sustainability, 16(5), 2113–2113. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16052113 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su16052113

Jing, J., Sisi Zlatanova, Liu, H., Aleksandrov, M., & Zhang, K. (2023). A design-support framework to access urban green spaces for human wellbeing. Sustainable Cities and Society, 98, 104779–104779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2023.104779 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2023.104779

Johnson, M. (2025). Urban well-being: rethinking physical and social spaces to foster healthy urbanism in Lagos Island, Nigeria. Cities & Health, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2024.2428010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2024.2428010

Liu, S., Tan, C., Deng, F., Zhang, W., & Wu, X. (2024). A new framework for assessment of park management in smart cities: a study based on social media data and deep learning. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 3630. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53345-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53345-0

Lydia Nkechi Philip. (2024). Exploring community gardens on mental well-being among urban dwellers in Lagos, Nigeria. Proceedings of International Conference on Healthy Living (INCOHELIV), 1(1), 298–304. https://doi.org/10.24123/incoheliv.v1i1.6559 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24123/incoheliv.V1i1.6559

Marx, A. (2019). Public-Private Partnerships for Sustainable Development: Exploring Their Design and Its Impact on Effectiveness. Sustainability, 11(4), 1087. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041087 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041087

Mohamad Nadzri, A. A., Mohd Hussain, M. R., Tukiman, I., Mahamad Zaini, M. A. A., & Shazalee, N. R. (2023). Physical and Psychological Health Benefits of Urban Parks during Pandemic Crises. Journal of Social Science and Humanities, 6(4), 16–21. https://doi.org/10.26666/rmp.jssh.2023.4.3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26666/rmp.jssh.2023.4.3

Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., Dadvand, P., Márquez, S., Bartoll, X., Barboza, E. P., Cirach, M., Borrell, C., & Zijlema, W. L. (2022). The evaluation of the 3-30-300 green space rule and mental health. Environmental Research, 215, 114387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.114387 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.114387

Obaideen, K. (2022). An overview of smart irrigation systems using IoT. Energy Nexus, 7(7), 100124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nexus.2022.100124 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nexus.2022.100124

Okunlola, P. O., Aduwo, B. E., Omotoye, O. T., & Anjorin, T. O. (2022). A Survey of Users’ Perception of Urban Parks in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1054(1), 012030. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1054/1/012030 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1054/1/012030

Roberts, H., Kellar, I., Conner, M., Gidlow, C., Kelly, B., Nieuwenhuijsen, M., & McEachan, R. (2019). Associations between park features, park satisfaction, and park use in a multi-ethnic deprived urban area. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 46, 126485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2019.126485 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2019.126485

THE ROLE OF GREEN SPACES IN ENHANCING RESIDENTS’ SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING IN URBAN COMMUNITIES. (2024). Social Science and Management, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.61784/ssm3005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.61784/ssm3005

Vliet, E., Dane, G., Weijs-Perrée, M., van Leeuwen, E., van Dinter, M., van den Berg, P., Borgers, A., & Chamilothori, K. (2021). The Influence of Urban Park Attributes on User Preferences: Evaluation of Virtual Parks in an Online Stated-Choice Experiment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(1), 212. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010212 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010212

WHO. (2016, October). Urban green spaces and health. Who.int; World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2016-3352-43111-60341

Zhang, W., Yang, B., Wang, R., & Guo, X. (2024). An analysis of the effects of different urban park space environment construction on national health. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1433319 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1433319

Zhao, J., Aziz, F. A., & Norsidah Ujang. (2024). Factors influencing the usage, restrictions, accessibility, and preference of urban neighborhood parks - A review of the empirical evidence. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 100, 128473–128473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128473 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128473

Most read articles by the same author(s)