Study of Urban Sprawl and its Social and Environmental Impacts on Urban Society in Latifabad Town, Hyderabad, Pakistan

Abstract

Urban sprawl expansion is becoming a serious problem of many urban areas due to not much a picture of sprawl in priority, urban areas lack the infra structure and basic facilities like treated water supply, electricity, sanitation services. By the year 2016, Latifabad town accommodates 0.7 millions, which was essentially proposed for 60,000 people. Some of the problems of Latifabad town include excessive traffic congestion; pollution, increment infrastructure costs for community services; fragmentation of housing with low density areas and increase in energy consumption that causes social segregation and environmental degradation. For evaluating social and environmental impacts of sprawl, various factors were derived based on socio-environmental impacts. Quantitative results were generated using Yeh’s index of satisfaction and software SPSS; which were based on questionnaires having filled by 480 occupants. The average satisfaction index from this analysis is found out to be -41.1431, which shows a highly dissatisfaction level of residents of Latifabad town. Some smart growth opportunities can be useful in reducing the urban sprawl as to advertise the problem and raise awareness; to enforce population control, compact developments to suit their needs and enhance the use of new technology to facilitate more people to be able to work from home. The research is beneficial to reduce the sprawl as the result of this study can give the directions to local development authorities, if considered the research proposal results, the urban sprawl can be controlled at certain level.