The African continent is urbanizing at a breakneck pace and our cities are in a state of crisis. The causes may vary, so also is the degree of severity, but there is a widely felt sense of urban problems requiring urgent solutions. The nature of the problems is complex, with economic, social, educational, political and physical factors playing major roles in exacerbating the situation. Yet, whatever is perceived to be the most serious physical problems in a city, one key underlying question always present is: What can be done about the disaffection of people for their own urban environments? This issue of fragility may be seen in simple terms of a drop in the perceived desirability of the city as a place one can to live, work or shop in. Whatever the name, the fact is that too many Nigerian cities are becoming unattractive to many citizens and residents. This paper aims at identifying the various ways of assembling a fragile city. Through the review of existing literature, the paper highlights the causes of city fragility focusing on three Nigerian cities. It also discusses fragility as the main hurdle to implementing Sustainable Development Goals and how fragile situation birth architecture of fear. Then, it concludes by noting that developing nations in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria need to be proactive in deconstructing their fragile cities.

Architects play a crucial role in shaping sustainable built environments that balance utility and aesthetics without compromising ecological integrity. Hence embracing sustainability remains an urgent imperative as construction activities expand to meet Nigeria's development needs. This research examines how architects in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria are assimilating principles of sustainability within their design practices against a transforming professional backdrop. The study utilized primary data targeting 126 registered architectural firms in the study area through a questionnaire survey and achieved 88.9 % response rate. Data were analyzed using JASP and Pearson product moment correlation. Results revealed high conceptual awareness of sustainability among architects, with 32.2 % consistently applying strategies like renewable energy systems in designs. Economic considerations and supportive regulations emerged as key assimilation motivators. However, uneven integration levels underline lingering barriers. While 40.6 % rated sustainability incorporation in education as very good, 13.5 % perceived it as moderate, indicating gaps in practical competencies. Statistical analysis (P-value = 0.001) showed a significant positive relationship between architects' awareness of sustainability concepts and their implementation of sustainable design practices. These findings highlight the need for strengthened educational programs, policy incentives, and industry collaborations to accelerate sustainable architecture adoption. Recommendations include updating curricula, mandating green ratings for public projects, incentivizing developers, and promoting interdisciplinary knowledge transfer. By addressing identified gaps, it implies that architects can lead the sustainability transition while meeting local built environment needs, ensuring a more climate-compatible and socially equitable habitat creation.

This article explores relations between cultural heritage and cultural values for sustainable development in the Enugu region. It discusses the potential to advance a cultural approach to sustainable development of regions by examining the cultural food heritage and relating it to cultural values. Based on empirical research, the article employed a mixed-methods approach to examine the relationship between the identified major local food heritage and cultural values for sustainable regional planning and development. The study examined primary data from 380 community elders, traders, and relevant institutions—including the Ministry of Arts and Culture and the Ministry of Agriculture—through interviews, participant observation, and questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Pearson product–moment correlation. Findings identified eight local food heritages and six cultural values. The findings suggest that promoting and preserving local food heritage can be crucial in fostering sustainable cultural values and contributing to sustainable regional development. The local food had a statistically significant influence on cultural values. The Pearson correlation result (p-value = 0.000) shows a strong correlation between the local food heritage and cultural values for sustainable regional planning and development. However, the study also identified several challenges threatening the sustainability of local food heritage in the region, including high costs, small-scale farming, insecurity, climate change, and poor transportation. The study recommends the development and implementation of comprehensive policies and programs that prioritize the preservation and promotion of local food heritage while addressing the identified challenges.

The current spate of building collapse in Nigeria has continued to attract research efforts to unravel the causes and possible remedies. Although cases of building collapse in Nigeria has been associated with several factors, those factors associated with building plan approval process have not adequately investigated, especially in a rapidly expanding colonial city of Enugu. The study investigated the role of local town planning authorities in the increasing cases of collapsed buildings in Nigeria using Enugu as a case study. A well-structured questionnaire was administered to the three Chief Town Planners in the three planning approval offices and oral interviews randomly selected 30 developers in ongoing construction projects within Enugu metropolis were conducted. Using content analysis and descriptive statistics the data collected were analyzed. It was observed that due to poor staffing and lack of engagement of building professionals, the planning approval authorities were not effective in scrutinizing, vetting and evaluating building drawings submitted for approval as well as in supervising and monitoring the level of compliance of buildings under construction with the operational building codes and bye-laws in the study area. The study concludes that these lapses in the roles of local building approval authorities can contribute to the increasing cases of collapsed buildings in Enugu Metropolis. It recommends that government should take proactive steps by engaging the right number of building professionals in her planning approval offices and ensuring strict enforcement of the existing physical development legislation and punishment of offenders.

Renovation usually increases the aesthetic and market value of buildings. Consequently, with the rapid growth of the city's population and skyrocketing demand for decent housing, the current trend of building conversion and renovation of existing and dilapidated property stock within city centres has become rampant. The rise in demand has pushed beyond the boundaries that every real estate investor wants to maximize profit, and it has resulted in the prevalence of uncontrolled building development, land use conversion, and non-compliance with building requirements, etc. Renovations that involve changes in building elements (especially the window system) that can influence energy saving and ventilation efficiency have thus become very common. However, the effects of building renovations on ventilation and energy efficiency have not been fully examined, particularly in Enugu (Nigeria), a rapidly growing colonial metropolis. This research employed a qualitative research approach to investigate the effects of building renovation on ventilation and energy saving in Achara layout, Enugu City, Nigeria. Four blocks of flat residential buildings were the derived sample size using a judgmental sampling technique. Physical measurements, an observation schedule, and oral interviews with site workers centred on window size, area, property, and fenestration type were used to collect empirical data involving the window system. The result reveals a very significant difference between the as-built and renovated window design systems of all studied variables. Its conclusion hinged on the fact that a renovated structure does not encourage effective natural ventilation and hence will consume more energy in cooling and lighting. It recommends the re-introduction of appropriate window systems and construction techniques for the tropical environment to reduce heat stress build-up within building units. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-SP2021-07-09 Full Text: PDF