Urban spatial pattern and carbon emission interconnectivity in a sub-Saharan City, Nigeria

Abstract

This study analyses the spatial pattern of Kaduna City in Sub-Saharan region and its vicinity to ascertain its influence on urban interaction and implications towards carbon emission. It employed a questionnaire-based research for the collection of socio-economic, traffic and spatial data. Meanwhile, spatial data was derived in secondary form from relevant organizations. The study reveals a steady increase in the built-up areas which covered 17,121 hectares representing 53% of the total area of the city. It also identified a mono-centric land use pattern for the city. The interconnection between the city centre and the residential areas has resulted in high traffic volume during the morning and evening peak hours on working days. The study also found that carbon emission at points along major routes in the city ranges between 1169 to1884 ppm. Considering the present performance of the city, the study suggests to adopt traditional red-ocean strategies, which are maximizing the carbon sequestration through optimizing urban ecology while minimizing the need for motorized transport using urban planning principles.