EFFECT OF URBAN GROWTH ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY VALUE IN ENUGU NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT Enugu has for long attracted people from other places due to the variety of functions that it performs. Consequently, the pressure of population has lead to increased demand for residential property, thus leading to rise in residential rental values. A questionnaire survey was conducted on occupiers of residential property across the 2 districts together with the Landsat TM of 1986, Landsat ETM+ of 2000 and Landsat 8 of 2016 were used, and the questionnaire was administered using purposive sampling technique. Simple statistical technique together with Geographic Information Systems tool was used. The results of the study revealed that build-up (urban) has progressively increased throughout the study period occupying 149.2 km² (3.2%) in 1986, 190.4km² (4.1%) in 2000 and 271.5km² (5.8%) in 2016. All these growth are attributed majorly to agglomeration of business activities, security, population size increase, accessibility, among other identified determining factors. In the case of spatial pattern of residential property value, the study shows that the areas such as independent layout had recorded the highest residential property value for the period 1986 to 2016. On the effect of urban growth on residential property value, it was found that 31.25% of the respondents were of the opinion that quality and quantity of water would affect residential property values (rental) either to increase or decrease. The study identified the trend of residential property value as not uniform throughout the entire study area (Enugu north.) with the highest recorded residential property values in 2016 and least recorded value in 1986. This is attributed to the uneven distribution of infrastructural facilities, agglomeration of business activities, accessibility, and