USER’S PERCEPTION OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACES IN LAGOS STATE (A CASE STUDY OF GANI FAWEHINMI PARKS, M.K.O. ABIOLA GARDEN,OSHODI HERITAGE GARDEN, AND ALAUSA GARDEN) BY MACHADO GBOLAHAN E. 103062010 SUPERVISOR MRS G.A. EMIOLA IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENT OF THE AWARD OF HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA (HND) DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES LAGOS STATE POLYTECHNIC IKORODU 2011/2012 CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background of the Study Outdoor recreation has become a major aspect of people’s quality of life in the last decades (Müller, 1999; DTLR, 2002). Outdoor recreation areas fulfill important functions for their visitors (Givoni 1991; Laumann et al. 2001; Devries 2002; Chiesura 2004; Hartig 2004; Health Council of the Netherlands 2004). They also offer opportunities for people to regulate their physical and psychological resources (Hobfoll 2001; Fuhrer and Kaiser 1994). The number of people living in cities is growing (United Nations, 2000). Schuler et al. (2004) stated that, outdoor recreation causes an increasing demand for outdoor functions, and brings associated pressure in particular on nearby outdoor recreation areas i.e., those areas accessible by short walks but still large enough to create visual, acoustic and mental distance to the residential area due to higher population density, expansion of settlement areas, and multiple forms of uses (Are, 2005). Consequently, a need-oriented management of nearby recreation areas is importance (Driver, 1996; Gobster, Ward and Thompson, 2002; Westphal, 2004). In order to manage this resource according to the needs of the broad population, knowledge is needed about the users and – even more importantly – about potential users of these areas. In Switzerland and other German-speaking countries, only few studies on nearby recreation behaviour have been conducted (e.g., Buwal 1999; Buwal 2000) with investigations being mostly conducted in the target areas and focusing on weekend use. In Lagos, Nigeria, the suggestion for the establishment of a semi-autonomous government agency to oversee the rectification of public recreation programmes inactivity has been prominent. In 1985 the Lagos State Park Commission (LSPC) was set up to meet this need. Unfortunately, the commission was never constituted and the inherent objective of supervising the production of working documents including metropolitan open spaces master plan (M.O.M.P) as in other cities and similar works for sub urban townships were not achieved. Based on the afore-mentioned, this paper investigates user perception of public open spaces in Lagos with emphasis on accessibility, cost, adequacy, safety, convenience, landscape condition, aesthetics, cleanliness and drainage condition in order to inquire users’ opinions on the quality of the recreation centers in the study area. It also investigates the relationship between the adopted variables (perceptions’ criteria) of recreation services. Statement of the Problem In this city, a focus on horticulture that promotes aesthetics and provides green plants in urban areas should be of more interest to environmentalists. Physical observations in the city show that most individuals who practice urban horticulture take it as vocation to cope with the hostile economy. The social implications of this, first to the horticulturists and much more on urban land use planning and development in Lagos are not well documented in research. Of recent, efforts have been made by the state government to beautify the city and promote environmental sanitation. These have been piecemeal in approach. The provision of recreational spaces as well as its development has suffered a lot of neglect on the part of both the government and the public, because an average Nigerian can hardly understand the importance of recreation and this has perhaps resulted to the low level of recreational gardens available in the country. The economic reality of the country has also affected the level of patronage to the recreational open spaces. It is upon this identified problem (the need for sufficient green space) that this study is based. AIM AND OBJECTIVES 1.3.1 Aim The aim of this study is to examine user perceptions of public open spaces in some selected open spaces in Lagos with emphasis on accessibility, cost, adequacy, safety, convenience, landscape condition, aesthetics, cleanliness and drainage condition in order to inquire the users’ opinions on the quality of the recreation centers in the study area. 1.3.2 Objectives To achieve the general aim, the following are the specific objectives Examine the socio economic background of open space users Examine Outdoor recreation through public perceptions and expectations Examine user’s perception Relationships between the adopted variables Hypothesis Formulation H0 : user’s perception does not affect public open space H1: User’s perceptions affect public open space Scope of The Study This study is aimed examine user perceptions of public open spaces in some selected open spaces in Lagos with emphasis on accessibility, cost, adequacy, safety, convenience, landscape condition, aesthetics, cleanliness and drainage condition in order to inquire the users’ opinions on the quality of the recreation centers in the study area. The study focused on four recreation centers in Ikeja, Kosofe and Oshodi Isolo Local Development Council of Lagos State. All information gathers from relevant literatures, physical observation and field survey carried out in the study area. 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY Recreation is considered as a tool for both rural and urban development because it is seen as both economic and social advantage to the people in an environment in general. Horticulture is an economic activity, just like aquaculture, it also provides one of the best ways to recreate in a natural environment. Psychologists have found that plants in open spaces provide a sense of relaxation that allows people with access to plants and nature to be more productive, i.e., nature increases people’s productivity. Pieare Laconte (1976), in his book-landscape evaluation of open space planning- stated that “a relaxed mind is a productive genius” he argued that when the human mind works, efficiency and productive capacity is also improved. Socially, it will create an environment where people will be able to spend their leisure time recreating and go for sightseeing as the case may be. While economically, it will create opportunity and also generate income, which can be later expended to develop the area. Medically, horticultural therapy is used in treatment of a variety of ailments. Working with and around plants improves quality of life through psychological and physical changes, plant also improves air quality. In addition, recreation’s greatest value lies in its ability to balance the human organism physically, psychologically and to give immediate satisfaction to individuals and the communities in general. Finally, the ignorance about the advantages of gardens to human settlements and healthful living, coupled with the economic opportunities that can be derived from it, has prompted this study. 1.6 The Study Area The city of Lagos lies in the south western Nigeria on the Atlantic coast in the gulf of Guinea, west of the Niger River Delta located on longitude 3◦ 24’E and latitude 6◦ 27’N on this stretch of the high rainfall, West Africa coast, rivers flowing to the sea from swampy lagoons like Lagos Lagoon behind long coastal sand splits or sand bars. Some rivers like Badagry creek flow parallel to the coast for some distance before finding an exit through the sand bars to the sea. The Ibrahim Babangida Boulevard Obelisk was built in 1991. Unfortunately, modern Nigerian landscape movement started in Lagos, today it has very little to show for it in the area of public gardens and parks. Parks and open spaces were found along Marina, now, they had been blighted by the construction of hard concrete flyovers. The beaches of Bar Beach, Lekki, and Badagry are areas that should be improved. The administrative of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola have invested in the upgrading and development of recreation grounds and local parks round the Lagos metropolis, this prone private clubs, individuals, schools, social and nongovernmental organizations and many private residential estate developers to go green. The study areas for this study are Gani Fawehinmi Parks, M.K.O. Abiola Garden, Oshodi Heritage Garden, and Alausa Garden. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW/ THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Introduction This chapter reviews some appropriate related literature recreation and open space, it reviews some relevant existing literatures that could provide insight on related issues such as user perception, open space. It also looks into relevant theories and concepts. 2.1 Literature Review 2.1.1 Socio Economic Background of Open Space Users Open space perceptions and evaluations of people in different social-economic background have been comprehensively explored (Sugiyama, 2008. Roose, 2007. M. Joseph and Sirgy, 2000). Some studies focused on ethnic groups and their outdoor recreation behaviours in western countries (T. Zhang and Gobster, 1998).Some studies discussed about the relationship between user perceptions and park planning. (C.S. Shafer 2000, Myron F. Floyd, 2008). “As the recent drastic social, political, and economic changes in worldwide, especially in cities”, (C. Y. Jim a and W. Y. Chen, 2009) more and more research have been focus on cities transformation in and its function on the recreation patterns of millions of people.( A.Y.H. Lo, C.Y. Jim, 2010). The role of socio-economic status and race in regards to public open space has been well documented in the North American literature (see for example Huston et al. 2003; Sallis et al. 2009). Studies indicate that the provision of public open space in low socio-economic neighbourhoods is extremely poor. Many such neighbourhoods are either bereft of public open space or that which is available is of poor quality. Those spaces that are provided are typically non-green spaces, thereby depriving such communities of more natural public open spaces with their reported health benefits. Further, the maintenance of existing spaces is typically poor rendering them unattractive and, potentially, undesirable places to use. In effect a lack of open space provision or the nature of those spaces provided, combined with poor maintenance further impoverish low socio-economic status communities. 2.1.2 Outdoor Recreation through Public Perceptions and Expectations The use of natural recreation areas is influenced by many factors. The characteristics of the area itself, characteristics of visitors, social influences, and living conditions may influence the use of nearby outdoor recreation areas (Henderson 1995; Baumann et al. 2002; Heberlein and Fredman 2002; Jackson 2005; Jackson and Shores et al. 2007). The infrastructure, accessibility, safety, crowding, noise and pollution, visual attractiveness, topography and size of an area and availability of forest edges, waters and viewpoints are important among environmental qualities influencing the attractiveness and use of a recreation area (Elsasser 1996; Manfredo et al. 1996; Elsasser et al. 1977; Goosen Langers 2000; Nohl 2001 and DE Vries 2002). Many studies of outdoor recreation behaviour have been concerned with evaluations of specific areas with regard to these kinds of qualities and have focused on activities and characterization of user segments in terms of socio-demographics. However, the need for action in planning and in improving these areas may be interpreted incorrectly if the characteristics of the settings or user activities are not linked with the users’ individual perceptions and expectations. This is why a transactional view is proposed in recreation research, as well as a behavioural approach focusing on the goals behind activities (Manning, 1999). The main benefits visitors usually expect of outdoor recreation areas are aspects of health and well-being which include recovery from stress, regeneration, better environmental qualities, social benefits such as company, activity-related benefits, and aesthetic or experiential benefits that are particularly related to experience of nature (Beard and Ragheb 1983; Bell et al. 1996; Manfredo et al. 1996; Nohl 2001; Jenkins and Pigram 2003; Staats and Hartig 2004). Accordingly, expectations of relaxation, privacy, quietness, fresh air, physical activity, and experience of nature are most commonly expressed in visitor surveys, (Ammer and Pröbstl 1991; Buwal 1999; Buwal 2000; Staats and Hartig 2004; Zeidenitz, 2005). Furthermore, perceived security and company seem to be similarly important (Manning 1999; Goosen and Langers, 2000; Staats and Hartig 2004). Overall, avoidance of stimulation (Beard and Ragheb, 1983) seems to be more important that stimulation seeking. In the light of the importance that natural outdoor recreation areas have for health and wellbeing, unlimited access for all segments of the population is the main goal in the planning of these areas (Thompson, 2002). 2.1.3 User’s Perception The need for perception study according to Carter (1975) is borne out of the following premises: Many environmental problems require solutions which must be sought from various position of ignorance. In many instance, better information on how people perceive and react to environmental issues may lead to more enlightened decision; Perception study reveals to policy makers the action that would be welcome and which programmes are to be embarked upon at a given time. Thus, through perception information, public crises and uproar, which may lead to public unrest, are averted. Users’ environmental perception data would clearly reveal to policy maker and planners the need for environmental education. Moreover, the issues on, and direction in, which environmental education will focus in a given environment are made manifest. From the above, users’ perception data is a veritable tool in the land of planner and decision makers. Environmental perception involves two but separable actions. These are: The awareness of all the external condition and influences affecting man’s life and development through sensation; and The interpretation of these conditions to from mental image of such environment or issues perceived for decision making process. Summing up these two actions, Tuan (1972) opines that each man has an image of the world. The preferences, evaluation, decision and subsequent behaviour are therefore based on these pictures of the world on his head, rather than in the world of objective reality. Furthermore no two individuals or group of individuals make precisely the same evaluation of the same environment (Saarinen 1964). This is because individual acknowledge only what has value for his biological survival and satisfaction; and decoded this to suit his social and economic conditions. Thus, there exist several subjective factors that modify environmental perception. These include: experience (Lynch 1977, Porteus 1976); socio-economic class and status (Goodchild 1974; Sadalla et al 1999); age and sex (Carter 1975); race and culture (Hunter et al 2001), quantity and quality of information available (Hart 1999); adjustments and adaptation capacity to issues perceived (Holman 1998); the effects of what is being perceived on the economic and social activities. The difference in perception would affect their response to management activities and policies. However, the aggregate perception data of users should be used as inputs into managing them. 2.1.4 Past in the Present It is clear that the ideal of the formal as opposed to the informal meant something to garden theorists long before the twentieth century. At the same time, it acquired fresh ideological connotations. If today we have a sense of Incompatibility between a garden of dipped box and yew and a garden of shrubbery's and meadows, this is due in part to the fierce debate between rival Theorists at the turn of the century. There is some irony in this, since even as an exponent of the ‘formal Garden’, Bloomfield admitted: The formal system of garden has suffered from a question-begging name. The formal treatment of garden ought, perhaps, to be called the architectural treatment of gardens, for it consists in the extension of the principles of design which govern the house to the grounds which surround it, with the success of his own propaganda, the term 'formal garden', replacing the mid-Victorian 'geometric garden', has remained ascendant to this day. It was in the 1890s that some architects and horticulturist took up ideological position behind opposing barricades. The point of contention: Who was competent to make garden? Bloomfield considered that architect like himself should be responsible for the design while horticulturists should merely aid in the implementation. He argued that the architectural tradition, which produced, house and gardens of 'well-ordered harmony' had been undermined from the middle of the eighteenth century, adding. Are questions at issue such as is the garden to be considered in relation to the house and as an integral part of a design, or is the house to be ignored in dealing with the garden? In response, the horticulturists William Robinson and H.E.Milner proposed that the garden should be a reflection of nature in her fairest moods, it should express by its breadth of treatment most unmistakably that nature has triumphed over art' a view point that harks back to the theorists of the landscape garden in the eighteenth century. Cliue Aslet has pointed out, the idea of both Blomfield and Robinson were in some measure a reaction against the showy italianate parterre's that had been unrolled like carpets in front of many great Victorian country houses by Paxton and William. Robinson contested, probably in the light of his experience of shrub land, that: it is only where the plants of a garden are rigidly set out in geometrical design in carpet gardening and bedding-out that the term "formal" is rightly applied, an example of such geometric garden in the past that still exist in the present day as. The garden of Hatfield House made between 1607 and 1612 for Robert Cecil by mountain Jennings, revitalized over many generations up to the present day. Another is in NordKirchen, near Munster in north Germany, was considered the "versailles of Westphalia in the eighteenth century. The architect Johanna Conrad schlaun was commissioned by Ferchnand Von Pletten berg in 1725 to create an elaborate layout of parterres and bosquet. Between 1906 and 1914, a magnificent parterre was laid out to the north side of the palace. From 1918 to 1950 a period of decay set in. thus, like some fits Baroque forerunners, the hay days of Duchenes design was remarkably short-lived. Recently, however, under the management of the land Nordrhein westfalem, the parterrehas been restored as part of a long-term management plan. Today's visitor to NordKirchen, approaching on foot from the north, sees the staggered brick facades of the palace across a broad sheet of water. The parterre lies between this lake and the mansion, as though on an island, access is along causeways to the west and east of the palace. The palace itself sits on its own moated island. Enclosed by massive squadrons of horse chestnut-shady promen ades on sultry summer days- the parterre and its sculpture act as light against dark. Herzag Von Arenberg's open-air ballom, drawn by Dupre after a design by Duchene for the park at NordKirchen and below it is the bird's -eye view of Duchene's master plan for the neo-Baroque revitalization of NordKirchen, completed in part between 1906 and 1914. Furthermore recreation is considered as a tool of both rural and urban development in terms of its economic and social advantage to the people (Pierre Lanconte, 1976). Therefore the garden city concept will encourage the planning for organized open space for recreation, which may as well be a horticultural garden. These will invariably enhance our environment through proper landscaping which reduces nitrate leaching from the soil into the water supply, proper landscaping reduces soil erosion, plants also improves air quality (through research one tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually, equaling 11,000 miles of car emissions), landscape plants including shrubs and turf, remove smoke, dust, and other pollutants from the air. One study showed that 1 acre of tree has the ability to remove 13 tons of particles and gases annually. Landscaping also lowers summer air temperatures. Landscaping conserves and it also screens busy streets (well placed plantings offer privacy and tranquillity screening out busy street noises and reducing glares from headlights). Plants increase tourism revenues. An existing historical record and empirical evidence shows that Nigerian also has tradition of gardens, which proceeded the colonial era (Falade 1985). Upon these facts, major developments in gardening, landscaping and open spaces have emerged since the middle 19th century to the present day and these trends can be regarded as the era of modern landscape design in Nigeria. Some of such gardens and parks are the Gani Fawehinmi parks, M.K.O. Abiola garden both in Ojota, Oshodi heritage garden, also the one in front of the governor’s office/house of assembly in Alausa, Ikeja Lagos which occupies a land of approximately 0.5 hectare of land for public recreation, Shodex Beautification landmark owned by Sola Adekoya, the garden has various facilities for relaxation and recreating. This garden has facilities like children playing ground, mini zoo, open lawn for functions, gazebo with seat outs they also performs some landscaping contracts for individuals, private and public bodies. Another example of such garden is the one at Alausa secretariat beside the governor's office. It is a public garden in which people can have a quiet time and relax in there, without any cost. The garden is been maintained by equatorial Trust Bank. 2.1.5 The Implication of Growing Leisure and Recreation Salvador (1968) observed that until recently geographers and planners have surprisingly had little to say about the implication of growing leisure time undoubtedly a major hindrance may lack academic respectability. Somehow, researchers see what people do in their spare time as being of minor importance compared with the goods they produce, the services they provide or distances they commute. Social scientists and environmental scientists therefore are reluctant to turn away from more “serious” classical pursuits to follow what would appear to many to be little more than the study of “fun”. This attitude appears universal but more so in Nigeria where little academic work exist that actually focus on recreation. Akiya (1969) in his paper presented during the celebration of the international year of African Recreation and Tourism outlined these potentials from the South to the Northern part of Nigeria. Ojo, (1978) also stressed the economic circumstance of the colonial era that have set in motion certain facts which simply or jointly are conducive to the rapid development of recreation and tourism in Nigeria. Among the factors mentioned are the phenomena rise in the real income level in Nigeria, improved working conditions, increased mobility through the use of vehicular transport, urbanization and lastly increasing numbers of Nigerian using labour saving gadgets making more leisure hours available to those who can avail themselves of the labour saving devices. All these are general framework for development of recreation and tourism. Existing research works have been directed specifically towards the development of recreation and tourism in some areas of the country. Ogundipe (1964) work on Ilorin identified the potentials for the development of recreation areas in Ilorin. Ojo (1978) identified three phases in the development of recreational areas in Nigeria; these are pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods. In the pre-colonial, people recreate especially in indoor type, ‘ayo’, games, telling stories at night. During the colonial era, there are organized recreational areas like amusement parks etc. 2.1.6 Perception and reality In the case of visual perception, some people can actually see the percept shift in their mind's eye. Others, who are not picture thinkers, may not necessarily perceive the 'shape-shifting' as their world changes. The 'simplistic' nature has been shown by experiment: an ambiguous image has multiple interpretations on the perceptual level. The question, "Is the glass half empty or half full?" serves to demonstrate the way an object can be perceived in different ways. Just as one object can give rise to multiple percepts, so an object may fail to give rise to any percept at all: if the percept has no grounding in a person's experience, the person may literally not perceive it. The processes of perception routinely alter what humans see. When people view something with a preconceived concept about it, they tend to take those concepts and see them whether or not they are there. This problem stems from the fact that humans are unable to understand new information, without the inherent bias of their previous knowledge. A person’s knowledge creates his or her reality as much as the truth, because the human mind can only contemplate that to which it has been exposed. When objects are viewed without understanding, the mind will try to reach for something that it already recognizes, in order to process what it is viewing. That which most closely relates to the unfamiliar from our past experiences, makes up what we see when we look at things that we don’t comprehend (Wikipedia, 2009) This confusing ambiguity of perception is exploited in human technologies such as camouflage, and also in biological mimicry, for example by Peacock butterflies, whose wings bear eye markings that birds respond to as though they were the eyes of a dangerous predator. Perceptual ambiguity is not restricted to vision. For example, recent touch perception research Robles-De-La-Torre & Hayward 2001 found that kinesthesia based haptic perception strongly relies on the forces experienced during touch. Cognitive theories of perception assume there is a poverty of stimulus. This with reference to perception is the claim that sensations are, by themselves, unable to provide a unique description of the world. Sensations require 'enriching', which is the role of the mental model. A different type of theory is the perceptual ecology approach of James J. Gibson. Gibson rejected the assumption of a poverty of stimulus by rejecting the notion that perception is based in sensations. Instead, he investigated what information is actually presented to the perceptual systems. He and the psychologists who work within this paradigm detailed how the world could be specified to a mobile, exploring organism via the lawful projection of information about the world into energy arrays. Preconceptions can influence how the world is perceived. For example, one classic psychological experiment showed slower reaction times and less accurate answers when a deck of playing cards reversed the color of the suit symbol for some cards (e.g. red spades and black hearts). There is also evidence that the brain in some ways operates on a slight "delay", to allow nerve impulses from distant parts of the body to be integrated into simultaneous signals (Wikipedia, 2009) 2.2. Conceptual Framework 2.2.1 The concept of urban green space Nature has made provision for green space on the earth surface and has made man‘s existence to be directly or indirectly dependent on plants. This is termed ’environmental determism’. This means that the environment determines man’s actions and existence on earth surface. Men’s activities on the space to attain satisfaction have produced the concept of ‘environmental possibilism’ (Golledge, 1975). This is a situation where man believes that all things are possible to be achieved in the environment, with little or no consideration to aftermath effects of his activities in altering nature. This has led to deforestation, uncontrolled pollution and clearing of the earth surface for building and road construction among others. The centrality of balanced eco-system between man and plant has forced man to reason on the need for ‘environmental probabilism’ (Goodchild, 1989). Here, global warming and rapid depletion of ozone layer have posed great threat to life and man has subjected his activities to environmental tests. One of the results of such tests is the promotion of green space in the built environment. Historically, this could be traced to the era of industrial revolution in Europe when the birth of town planning brought relieve to the unhealthy industrial cities. During this era, development of urban green space is manifested through conservation of existing green belts in cites, tree planting, soft landscaping, urban agriculture, creation of green parks and gardens among others. Urban green provides an essential structural and functional contribution to cities so as to make them more attractive and live able (German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs, 2007). In modern times, public’s demand for green space is becoming stronger. This has aesthetic, improved urban recreation and access to clean air or serene environment. Besides, green space protects biodiversity and absorbs pollutants. Green space helps in keeping the quality of city life (Liu et al., 2008; et al). Considering the advantages of green space in cities, most developed nations have inculcated a good attitude toward green space in their citizens (Ward, 1992). In African nations, the general attitude in green space planning is, however, often expressed solely through spontaneous action and direct intervention to a pressing problem. Consideration is centre only on the short-term effects that are set against limited time horizons. Few of African cities where little attention has been given to urban green space include Abuja, part of Cairo, Cape Town among others (City of Cape Town, 2005; Abegunde, 2008; Cairo City Guide, 2008). Like many other third world nations, rapid urban development in Malaysia has caused lack of green spaces in urban settings (Liu et al., 2008). Consequently, this has contributed to the problems and issues related to urban pollution, heat island, erosion and flood (Omar et al., 2000). Putting green space planning into practice remains, therefore, a major challenge and urban green space development really needs to be firmly supported by national and regional governments of cites all over the globe. This is why there is the need for every urban community to set up its own green space strategy. ( Huat, 1998). A green space strategy sets out a community’s vision for using its green space and the goal it wants to achieve, plus the resources, methods and time needed to meet these goals. A green space strategy is expected to form part of a suite of key local government documents. It should be comprehensive, council-wide document, which should directly contribute to delivering the council’s corporate aims and objectives, which are set out in the community strategy (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, 2006). In another dimension, as there is the need for housing, industrial development, infrastructural provision, so must a community set its strategy towards achieving green space planning, where this fails, the public will seek for alternatives, just as slums develop where there is housing shortage. Such indiscriminate green space development will not only contradict planning laws, but also creates nuisance in the environment and until this is addressed, both the social and economic aspects of residents will be affected by lack for it. CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Sources of Data Used The study will be carried out by the use of two sources of data which are primary and secondary data. 3.1.1 Primary Source These are raw facts that have not been processed or diluted which exists in its lowest realm. For this study the primary data includes those gathered through field survey, physical observation, personal contacts, and interview of appropriate and relevant stakeholders, 3.1.2 Secondary Source They are also called indirect data, processed and tested facts and information which are collected from other relevant text, work or prints prior to the commencement of the research study. This includes information from the review of seminar papers, journals, textbooks, works of scholars and workshops, newspapers. Others include the use of internet browsing for relevant articles, online journals, online encyclopaedia, seminar papers and the visitation of library for relevant literatures. 3.2 Sampling Procedure Sample is that portion of the population from which data were actually collected (Salau, 1998). Primary data or information were obtained through the administration of questionnaires and only, considering the nature of the study. The respondent to these questionnaires include anybody that patronizes the garden. The questionnaires will seek to obtain information socio economic background, outdoor recreation through public perceptions and expectations, user’s perception level of development of recreation and level of awareness of people on recreation in a natural environment. 3.3 Instrument Used 3.3.1 Questionnaires This forms the major instrument in eliciting information it was designed in a way that will cover all aspect that relates to the people that recreates in the garden and type of activities, it's level of development, it's level of awareness and benefit to the people and environment, public and private participation in Garden recreation, bearing in mind the interest of each age class. The questionnaires were administered through physical observation and personal interview which requires the respondent to be physically present and give views on questions during the administration of the questionnaires. 3.3.2 Maps Map use for this study include map of Nigeria showing Lagos State, map of Lagos state showing all the four garden and location map of each garden. 3.3.3 Photographs Photographs is a vital means of non-verbal communication and a very good means of presenting an event which is fast gaining more acceptance for this reason therefore, this means has been exploited to the fullest in reporting the existing situation of the physical element in the study area. 3.4 Validation of the Instrument The design and efficiency of the survey instrument determined to a large extent the success of any research work. In order to enhance the reliability of the data collected, various instruments which have been discussed above were adapted to measure or justify the designed research work. The instruments were carefully adopted by the researcher putting into consideration the bases of the study which is the aim and objectives by ensuring that the instrument use will justify the stated aim and objectives. However, the various instruments used in the data collection were specified and recommended in many textbooks as a valid instrument for data collection in any research work. (Salau, 1998). 3.5 Data Presentation Technique This represents the statistical technique or tools employed in analysing the data collected. Descriptive and explanatory methods of data presentation were used in analysing the data collected to determine the level of recreational garden development and awareness to people of the study area. In essence the various methods used in the analysis are tables, charts, and photographs with comprehensive written analysis of the various tables and photographs. LAGOS STATE POLYTECHNIC, IKORODU SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING Dear sir/ma This is a research questionnaire for an educational purpose. The research is conducting study on open spaces and horticultural gardens to aid the improvement of urban life style. Kindly answer the questions below to the best of your knowledge, your response will be treated as confidential and used for academic purpose only Gender: a). male b). female Age: a) below 20 b). 20-30 c).30-40 d). above 40 Occupation a). student b). civil servant c). trader d). farmer Income range per annum : a). below N50.000 b).N 50.000-100.000 c).N 150.000-200.000 d). above N500.000 Do you recreate a). yes b).no If yes, how often a). daily b). weekly c). monthly d). occasionally Form of recreational activity engaged in: a) passive b) active Visitor’s proximitry to open spaces: a). less than 10 minutes drive b). 10-15 mins drive c).15-20 mins drive d). 20 mins and above If children’s facilities are provided, would you patronize with your family: a). yes b). no If yes, how often would you bring your wards: a). daily b).weekly c). monthly d).special holidays Would you pay for facilities? a). yes b). no If yes, how much can you pay? a) less than #50 b).#50-#100 c). #100-#150 d). #150 and above What periods are you free to recreate: a). weekdays b).weekends c).occasionally d)Once in a while. Are there constraints in reaching the facility? a). yes b). no If yes, what are the constraints ? a). cost of travel b)mode of transport c).distance d). traffic congestion e).state of facilities f). others What other recreational facilities do you think should be provided here? a). playground b). sport court c). game centres d). seat outs e)others specify REFERENCES Arnberger, A. and Haider, W. (2005). Social effects on crowding preferences of urban forest visitors. Urban for Urban Greening 3: 125–136. Agbola, T. (2001). Readings in Urban and Regional Planning, Ibadan: Macmillan Nigeria Publishers Limited. Agunloye, O.O. (2007). Assessment of outdoor recreation in Ebute-Metta. An unpublished B Sc. Seminar paper, university of Lagos, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Arnold, R. (2000). Encyclopedia of Urban Planning. New York: Krieger Publishing Company Inc. Asiyanbi, J. (2005). 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