📖 ABSTRACT/OVERVIEW
Development control failures in Nigerian urban centres have resulted in incompatible land use juxtapositions, unauthorised structures, and deteriorating environmental quality. This study examines the application of Geographic Information Systems to strengthen urban land use planning and development control practice in Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State. A comprehensive GIS database integrating the current Calabar Master Plan zoning map, satellite-derived land cover, building footprints from high-resolution imagery, property registration records, and approved development permits is constructed and audited for currency and spatial accuracy. Spatial conflict analysis is applied to identify parcels in non-conforming land use, and hotspot analysis pinpoints zones of highest development control violation density. The study develops a GIS-based permit workflow prototype that links parcel spatial attributes to the approval checklist process of the Calabar Urban Development Authority. Pilot testing of the prototype with fifty randomly sampled pending applications demonstrates a forty percent reduction in processing time compared to the conventional paper-based system. Recommendations for embedding GIS into development control institutional practice are formulated with reference to comparative experiences from South West Nigerian state GIS authorities. The study provides a replicable model for other secondary cities in the South South zone seeking to modernise land governance through spatial technology. Keywords: urban land use, development control, GIS, Calabar, urban planning.
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