The Driving Forces Of Urban Sprawl In The Kroo Bay Neighborhood Of Freetown-Sierra Leone

Informal settlements have been a hot topic in past years due to the failure of many developing countries to control population dynamics,increased demands and other complimentary problems.Consequently,most of the developing countries have been covered with the dense clouds of informal settlements and urban sprawl.Additionally,communities live in hazardous and high-risk physical environment and further widen the social gap.Freetown’s Kroo Bay struggles to provide its residents adequate access to basic services like electricity,water and proper Sanitation,which are systematically below Sub-Sahara.Access to schools and health centers are unevenly spread across the city.Solid waste management has been a major problem blocking drainages and increased flood risk.Kroo Bay is a disaster-prone area its geographical area and spatial make-up.There have been incidents of flooding and fire outbreak every year claiming life and property.The study sought to understand the driving forces of unplanned sprawl in Kroo Bay and to determine the relationship between the driving forces and unplanned urban sprawl and their significance.Finally,a proposal of an urban planning framework that can curb the rapid growth of unplanned settlement was expected.The consistent expansion of unplanned settlement in Kroo Bay area has been driven by economic,demographic,and social as well as regulatory factors.The study argues that negative impacts of unplanned settlements(Kroo Bay to be specific)have negative repercussions on the environment.However,the most significant contributing factors were economic growth,land price,standard of living,population growth and lack of coordination and coloration.The study therefore recommends a participatory approach to urban planning.This will ensure that the plans are comprehensive and the various factors are taken into consideration using expert advice.Moreover,sustainable development can only be assured if an inclusive approach is taken where people take ownership of the development problems and the solutions to those problems.