Demographical Factors and Their Hindrances to Metropolitan Land Zone Use Policy Adherances

Abstract

The appropriate application of metropolitan land zone use policies and regulations may help in resolving metropolitan land zone use hitches such as undesirable zonal fragmentation, zonal use mix-up and zonal encroachment. This research aims at contributing to acquaintance required to enhance adherence to metropolitan land zone uses in metropolitan land zone use planning. This paper focused on the hindrances to metropolitan land zone use adherence in Nakuru City. Human population in Nakuru city has been on upward trajectory over the past thirty years. Just like any other modern metropolitan area in the world, Nakuru city’s land use is mainly divided into residential, industrial, commercial and agricultural zone. The size of Nakuru city (municipality) has remained unchanged since 1974. However, there is a proposal to expand its size following its upgrading into a city. This has pressurized the already limited metropolitan land use zones. The study adopted Hoyt Theory which says that metropolitan land use zones are swayed by financial factors. Precisely, the study’s main objective was to assess socio-economic aspects of metropolitan demography as hindrances to metropolitan land zone use adherence. This paper employed descriptive survey design. Field data from a sample size of 400 respondents from eleven sample units were collected. All demographical factors (ignorance, political interference, nature of implementation, corruption, availability of capital, and population influx) under study had positively correlated with metropolitan land zone use policy adherences since they had a correlation coefficient of 0.82, 0.90, 1.00, 0.80, 0.92 and 0.98 respectively. The average t-test of all demographical factors under investigation was 0.02. Therefore, the null hypothesis was rejected at p-value of 0.05. Information from Key informants were also incorporated. This research suggested that these hindrances should be minimized through incorporation of all stakeholders, integrity, checked urbanization and proper implementation and adherence to all metropolitan land zone use policies that are in place. This study may be useful to metropolitan land planners, developers and government.