Lagos State Parks And Gardens Agency Pioneers Integration Of Landscape Architects Into Nigerian Public Sector Urban Planning

Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency integrates landscape architects to improve urban cooling, flood resilience, and the design of public spaces in Lagos.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 25, 2026, 10:52 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Vanguard News

Professional Expertise in Urban Open Space Management

The Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency has initiated a strategic shift in its recruitment policy by formally engaging professional landscape architects to fulfill its core mandate. This development represents a departure from traditional maintenance-focused approaches, moving toward a model that prioritizes specialized design and ecological insight. By integrating these professionals into its operational framework, the agency seeks to improve the quality of parks and gardens, ensuring that public spaces are not merely aesthetic additions but functional components of the city's social fabric.

Addressing the Margins of the Public Sector

Despite the rapid pace of urban growth across Nigeria, the profession of landscape architecture has historically remained on the periphery of federal and state institutions. Dr. Atumye Amos Alao, President of the Society of Landscape Architects of Nigeria (SLAN), observes that the absence of formal pathways for these specialists has led to the creation of open spaces that often fail to deliver their intended social or health benefits. LASPARK’s current trajectory is seen as a corrective measure, closing a critical gap in institutional knowledge that has long hindered integrated environmental thinking in Nigerian city planning.

Urban Resilience and Foundational Infrastructure

The inclusion of landscape architects is framed as a necessity for building resilient cities capable of withstanding modern environmental challenges, such as urban heat and flooding. High-quality public space is increasingly recognized as foundational infrastructure rather than a luxury, directly influencing community wellbeing and urban cooling. According to SLAN, the technical competencies brought by these professionals allow for the design of environments that are sustainable from their inception, rather than attempting to manage safety and environmental health as an afterthought.