Land Value Dynamics in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

Urban centers as against rural centers are area of pronounced heterogeneous activities and features. They represent mass attempt at making proper and effective use of the space and resource around them. Urban planners attempt to understand the underlying process human activities in space. The heterogeneity of urban areas creates dynamic system of interactions which are necessary to maintain the functional linkages that characterize urban centers. These functional activities need accessibility and special locations in order to exist. This study examined the spatial distribution of land values in twenty communities in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. It attempts to uncover the locational factors which impact on the value of land in the study area. Primary and secondary data formed the sources of data for this work. The primary data were collected by the researcher through the use of structured questionnaire. The study adopted the stratified simple random sampling technique. The secondary data came from published literature collected from relevant agencies in the study area. The results of this analysis revealed that though there is variation in the spatial distribution of land values among the different communities in the study area, there is however no statistically significant relationship between land value and the distance of a plot of land from the CBD. The land market in Khana Local Government Area conforms to Hoyt model, which states competition on the Best use of site is resolved on "ability to pay”. Thus as cities grow in wedges (sectors) that areas of highest rent tend to be alongside line of communication.