Urban Expansion and Planning Dysfunctions in the City of Pobe (Benin)

Abstract

The city of Pobè is experiencing strong population growth and stands out in the Plateau department due to its rapid urbanisation. This rapid spatial dynamic of the city generates urban management and planning problems, which this research aims to study. The methodological approach adopted is based firstly on data collection through desk research and fieldwork, which involved observation, questionnaire surveys of 154 households and interviews with 18 key informants; secondly, the processing of the data collected; and finally, the analysis of the results using the SWOT model. Also, Landsat 7 ETM satellite images from 2005 and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS images from 2025, along with DEM images (SRTM, 2014) of the city, were used to produce the various land-use maps as well as the slope map. The results show that the city’s population has more than doubled, rising from 33,552 inhabitants in 2002 to 69,872 in 2025. This increase has been accompanied by an expansion of urbanised areas, resulting in the decline of natural formations in favour of agglomerations and the transformation of the city’s infrastructural landscape. In fact, from 23.3% of the city’s area in 2005, or 719 hectares, urban areas have grown to 45.22% of the city’s area in 2024, or 1.395 hectares. The city’s expansion can be explained by several factors, including migration to Pobè as the capital of the Plateau department, relatively affordable housing and land costs, and the proximity of Nigeria with its booming economic activity. However, this urban expansion is causing development problems, including uncontrolled land use, sanitation issues, cyclical flooding and erosion. These problems are exacerbated by the absence and insufficient implementation of spatial planning and urban management tools. Therefore, the population and the authorities must work to establish and implement a genuine urban development policy for the city of Pobè.