Rural-Urban Integration and Spatial Planning in Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Settlement planning is becoming an important reality in developing countries as economic, social, and environmental sustainability are dependent on it. As they urbanize, there is the need for these settlements to be linked in an integrated manner so that there will be both sector and spatial development. The investigation is on rural-urban integration and spatial planning in Edo State, Nigeria. The paper reviews literature on the environment, economy, and society in both the developed and less developed countries. The reviewed literature formed the basis for evaluating the context of Edo State’s rural-urban integration and spatial planning. It concluded that there is no proper spatial integration among rural and urban settlements in Edo State. It recommends spatial cohesion, rural master planning, and the linking of rural and urban economies together for sustainable settlement spatial planning.