Urban Regeneration in the Central Area of Jos Town

The central area of Jos has been rapidly expanding over the last few years due to increased pressure for commercial and retail space resulting from the fire incident that burnt the Jos Main Market in February 2002 and increase in urban population; leading to proliferation of commercial and trading activities into adjacent streets with its severe negative consequences on previously existing land uses. Poor accessibility to vehicles, deteriorated buildings, encroachment of road reservations by commercial activities and general congestion has made safety measures seriously compromised. Also, regeneration activities within the central area are carried out in an uncoordinated manner, leading to chaotic situation. This book employed positivist and interpretivist approaches, where qualitative and quantitative methods were used to examine land use changes and urban regeneration activities in the central area of Jos; the process and forces driving those changes as a basis for sustainable planning and management of the central area. The analysis will help professionals, planning authorities and policy makers in Jos and other cities experiencing similar trends to manage such developments.