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In most developed nations, a formal recycling industry oversees the management of solid waste. The opposite happens to be the case in underdeveloped nations wherein, the informal recycling sector has assumed such functions. The informal methods used in Nigeria for managing buildings' end‐of‐life situations has shown in many ways to be compliant with the sustainability goal since they provide an excellent example of how the waste hierarchy may evolve independently, with little or no assistance from policy and regulatory bodies. The purpose of this study is to conceptualise the processes through which salvaged materials from buildings in Kano State, Nigeria is processed in a step‐by‐step manner, ensuring that least amounts of materials end up in a landfill. Adopting a qualitative research design to achieve the study's aim, this study engaged 19 purposively selected experts through semi‐structured interviews in the city of Kano, Nigeria. The collected data was analysed using thematic analysis. Using the biomorphic adaptation of an African snail's shell, the study's findings led to the development of a conceptual model that depicts the actual scenario of handling demolition waste in Nigeria while highlighting the important elements and the inherent interactions among them. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the identified limitations in the Nigerian construction industry be addressed for the purposes of practice improvement and emergence of a comprehensive framework for the sustainable handling of building demolition waste (BDW). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's highly regulated cities, a conspicuous pattern of marginal open space has emerged between buildings and streets. With rapid population growth, different activities are also emerging in the open spaces, particularly in the cities of developing countries. This study explores the informal use of the marginal open spaces along residential streets in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, to identify the physical planning implications. The data for this study were mainly collected through a questionnaire survey and open space measurements. Findings established that the major activities in the open space were necessary (earning income), socio-cultural and leisure pursuits. Land-use problem occurrence index (LPOI) showed that the significant challenges associated with the use of the space were an increase in travel time to destinations (LPOI = 4.33), open space littering (LPOI = 4.17), traffic and pedestrian congestion (LPOI = 4.17), and degradation of aesthetics (LPOI = 3.99). It is therefore concluded that the use of marginal open space has both positive and negative effects on the residential environments of the Nigerian city. The study adds to the body of knowledge in urban studies by empirically investigating the physical planning implications of the everyday use of marginal open space in a developing country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]