Review of Effect of Urban Growth and Sprawl on Agricultural Lands a Comparative Analysis of Developed and Developing Nations.

Urban sprawl or growth is an essential subject for examination and appraisal towards the sustainable development of urban areas. Environmental effects of urban sprawl and the degree of urban issues have been increasing in intricacy and pertinence, creating firm disequilibrium between the urban areas and their hinterlands such as agricultural lands. To address this multifaceted nature in appraising and observing the urban planning and management practices and processes, is a felt need in the ongoing years. Consequently, this could help planners to visualise the trajectories of their urban areas, their basic functions, structure, and system thereby ameliorating the environmental and national food security concerns. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the rate of urban growth and spatial pattern with a view to providing growth maps and detailed urban structure. Not only that but also, to evaluate the resulting effect on potential agricultural lands vis-a-vis the economy, the environment and the national food security. Method employed for the study literature search being a conceptual paper. This paper found the result of the comparative analysis that the occurrence of urban sprawl evident in developing counties (particularly Nigeria), does not fit exactly into the developed countries’ scheme of urban sprawl, both in causes and effects. The paper also found that urbanisation process in Nigeria and African cities in general is on one hand a reaction against the imposed orderliness of the “Western” planning model. Likewise, the Paper found that farming activities in the peri-urban areas in most of Nigeria cities (eg Ado-Masaka corridor) have been paralysed by urban sprawl probably due to lack or weak planning policies. Subsequently, the paper recommends that dealing with urban sprawl and its associated in Nigeria and African requires a considerable attention to be paid to the traditional values of Nigerians and Africans at large. This could reflect in the engagement of local people, for the inclusion of their values, when carrying out formal planning rather than the direct imposition of the “Western” planning model. Then, the paper recommends that the registration of land for agricultural activities by farmers to help curtail the loss or fear of losing their farmlands. Finally, the study recommends that there should be urgent need to carry out the Master Plan Renewal to secure the agricultural lands.