Urban Development Planning and Housing Policy Management in Port Harcourt Metropolitan Area, Rivers State, South South Nigeria

This study examines urban development planning and housing policy management challenges in the Port Harcourt Metropolitan Area, Rivers State, South South Nigeria. Port Harcourt, as the commercial capital of the Niger Delta, experiences rapid population growth, intense pressure on housing stock, and recurring conflicts between urban expansion and environmental sustainability. Drawing on urban planning theory and recent housing governance literature from 2020 to 2024, this practitioner-oriented study collects data from 165 urban planners, housing estate developers, Rivers State Urban Development Board officials, metropolitan area council officers, and residents through structured questionnaires and professional interviews. Descriptive statistics and strategic management analysis are employed. The study expects to reveal that outdated urban master plans, a backlog in property title documentation, uncoordinated land use decision-making across local government areas, and inadequate social housing provisions for low-income earners are the primary management failures in Port Harcourt's urban housing sector. It also examines the role of private developers and public-private partnerships in addressing the city's housing deficit. Recommendations target comprehensive master plan revision, a metropolitan housing authority with cross-jurisdictional planning powers, land titling reform, and an accelerated low-income housing delivery programme anchored in the Rivers State urban development framework. Keywords: urban planning, housing policy, metropolitan management, Port Harcourt, Rivers State