824 
3 METHODOLOGY 
3.1 Data sources 
The land use patterns were interpreted from mosaics 
of black and white aerial photographs. Mosaics of 
1981 photographs at 1:5000 was employed for Lagos, 
1979 photographs at 1.6000 for Benin City and 1977 
photographs at 1:10,000 for Warri. Ancillary data and 
base maps were obtained from the Federal and State 
Departments of Surveys. In addition the interpretati 
on and field checks were aided with terrestrial photo 
graphic reconnaisance using a cannon AEl camera. 
3.2 Classification 
As in any body of organized knowledge, classification 
is vital to the study of land use (Northam, 1979) but 
most developing countries including Nigeria, lack 
pertinent urban land use classification schemes. Con 
sequently, Adeniji's (1980) classification scheme was 
adopted with minor modifications (See table 1). 
Figure 1. Location map 
Table 1. Urban land use classification scheme 
Category 
Map 
Designa 
tion 
Description 
1 RESIDENTIAL 
Low density 
10 
Large plot, 1 and 2 storey (flat) buildings with or without vegetated open spaces 
11 
Apartment buildings (3 storey and above) 
Medium 
12 
Medium plot, mixed 1 and 2 storey flat buildings with small individual or common 
density 
open spaces 
13 
Single storey row houses with moderate single or common open spaces 
High 
14 
Mixed, traditional court-type buildings and traditional rooming buildings inters- 
density 
persed with modern 1 to 3 storey buildings 
15 
Mixed traditional rooming buildings and modern 1 to 3 storey (flat) buildings 
Developing 
16 
New developing residential areas with completed and uncompleted residential struc- 
tures in close juxtaposition and interspersed with undeveloped plots 
2 COMMERCIAL 
20 
Main commercial centres 
21 
Scattered roadside developments 
22 
Shopping centres 
23 
Traditional markets 
3 INDUSTRIAL 
30 
Industrial complex areas 
31 
Sawmills 
4 INSTITUTIONAL 
40 
Educational (schools and colleges) 
41 
Hospitals 
42 
Government offices and public establishments 
43 
Police establishments 
44 
Military establishments 
45 
Other institutional premises 
5 COMMUNICA- 
50 
Airport premises 
TIONS AND 
51 
Highway rights-of-way 
UTILITIES 
52 
Motor parks 
53 
Utilities 
6 RECREATIONAL 
60 
Indoor recreation areas 
AND OPEN 
61 
Sport grounds 
SPACES 
62 
Parks 
63 
Cemeteries 
7 VACANT LAND 
70 
Undeveloped (dry) vacant land (usually cleared) 
71 
Undeveloped bare ground 
72 
Undeveloped (dry) vegetated land 
73 
Undeveloped (wet) non-forested land 
74 
Undeveloped (wet) forested land 
8 NON-URBAN 
80 
Undifferentiated rural villages 
LAND 
81 
Agricultural plantations 
82 
Farmland 
83 
Forested wetland 
84 
Non-forested spottily vegetated wetland 
85 
Shrub and secondary forest areas 
Table 1. 
Category 
9 WATER 
A stan 
tation o 
minimum 
on eleme 
cultural 
employed 
magnifyi 
oscope a 
were emp 
and 1977 
were mos 
ic had 
artment 
Interp 
acetate 
checked 
base map 
ally a K 
to reduc 
4 RESULT 
The resu 
gories fc 
the dive 
on the a 
urban sp 
se chara 
ings : 
4.1 Land 
Lagos Is 
metropol 
Victoria 
Oshodi, 
which ha 
6°, 20'N 
Governme 
well as 
spectacu 
and deve 
gunje, 1 
The sp 
Lagos Is 
(distric 
north ce 
extends 
to the r 
(CBD) ir 
concerne 
isition 
phs, it 
tial anc 
Three 
tinguisc 
high res 
west: tl 
district 
resident 
The nc 
old trac 
(King) p 
(47 hous 
fused la 
ntly Yoi