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The rapid expansion of the retail sector in the last two decades has led to an unprecedented proliferation of retail stores, particularly in cities in developing countries. This trend has been particularly evident in Accra, Ghana's capital city, where residential neighborhoods have increasingly become a haven for the location of retail stores. To understand the distribution patterns and drivers, the study used a complementary mixed-method approach involving geographical information systems (GIS) analyses, semi-structured interviews with retailers and institutional stakeholders, and field observations in three residential areas of varying income levels. The results of the study showed that the geographical pattern of retail stores is predominantly clustered along road networks, near supplementary businesses, and in areas with high levels of population density. The study also reveals that the distribution of retail stores is unplanned, however, the locations of stores reflect retailers' carefully evaluated decision-making processes based on observations and experiences, including proximity to customers, existing clusters of retail stores, and minimisation of competition. The paper highlights the importance of considering retail locations in city growth and underscores the role of GIS in urban commercial space design and planning. It also highlights the unplanned but strategic distribution of retail stores in the neigbourhoods. We conclude that retailing has become an essential fabric of cities, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, and therefore recommended that future redevelopment should make provision for retail store locations in residential areas for sustainable city growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how extreme weather events affect the mobility of low‐income urban residents in Ghana. Bringing together scholarship on extreme weather and mobilities, it explores the differential impact of flooding on their everyday lives as they navigate the cities of Accra and Tamale. A range of qualitative methods were drawn on, including semi‐structured interviews, focus group discussions, and follow‐along‐participant observations in selected communities of both cities. Three key themes emerged: disrupted road and transport infrastructure, everyday mobility challenges, and coping/adaptive strategies. In flooding conditions, residents experienced difficulties leaving/returning home, engaging in income‐generating activities, and accessing transport services and other key urban infrastructure. Conceptually, the paper reveals how disruption to urban residents' daily movements and activities (re)produces new forms of mobilities and immobilities, which have three relational elements: postponed, improvised and assisted. Throughout the analysis, we show how these mobilities/immobilities vary by age and gender: all urban residents, (though women in particular), experience postponed mobility; young people especially engage in improvised mobility; and children and the elderly are in greatest need of assisted mobility. The paper thus contributes to scholarship on extreme weather events and mobility by providing a more spatially nuanced understanding of the multi‐faceted domains in which flooding, socio‐economic conditions and adaptive strategies intersect to influence urban mobility in resource poor settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines (i) the state of environmental conditions in two low-income urban communities in Accra, Ghana, using a Participatory Rapid Assessment (PRA) method, and (ii) changes in the environmental conditions in the two low-income communities over the years using the PRA method. The PRA was augmented with qualitative interviews with selected heads of household and other stakeholders from the study communities. The results showed that environmental conditions in the two study communities were poor as indicated by the computed average scores for the environmental problem areas. However, conditions were poorer in Chorkor compared to La. The paper recommends that local governments units in Ghana must prioritise sustained, improved, and reliable funding for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) to ensure undisruptive implementation of environmental health programs and policies. This must be accompanied with improved community education and sensitization on proper sanitary practices, which have the potential to mitigate the effects of disease epidemics such as cholera in the two communities. The study also provides important perspectives on differentials in environmental conditions in low-income communities in urban Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper confronts the current policy landscape and lived experiences of walking in African cities through the lens of policies, plans, institutional, and residents’ narratives. The paper builds on qualitative evidence drawn from content analysis and semi-structured interviews with local-level stakeholders across policy sectors concerned directly or indirectly with walking and walkability in the city. Perspectives from local government institutions are first reviewed to ascertain considerations for accessibility, safety, and pleasurability dimensions of walking and, second, contrasted with the lived walking experiences of residents of low-income settlements in Accra. Results indicate limited attention to pleasurability dimensions in both policy and municipal plans and significant incongruities with residents’ lived realities of walking. This parallel between the frameworks and plans underpinning the construction of the walking environment and the lived experiences of those affected by such decisions seeks to nuance debates about policy-reality (dis)junctures in African urbanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walking is a fundamental mode of transport for many people globally, with immense health and environmental benefits. However, increased walking is associated with an increased risk of road traffic crashes and injuries, especially where traffic enforcement is poor, and pedestrians could easily be distracted. Despite this, a plethora of evidence exists on driver distraction; however, there is a dread of evidence of pedestrian distraction (i.e. distracted walking), particularly in Africa. This paper uses a quantitative methodology to examine the predictors of distractive activities to walking in Accra, Ghana. The study surveyed 400 pedestrians within Accra's Central Business District (CBD). A questionnaire was deployed via Kobo Toolkit and Jamovi was used in analysing the data. The study observed that three of the top four distractive activities to walking were digital devices-related (e.g. the use of mobile phones). We found that listening to music, making, receiving phone calls, and conversing with other people while walking are the main distractive activities. The binary logistic regression model found sex, age, level of education, occupation, reasons for walking, weekly time for walking and time for common trips as significant predictors of distractive activities to walking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Increasing resilience to flooding is a complex process that requires horizontal and vertical coordination between institutions in policy making and implementation. This paper explores the effect of institutional coordination on managing flood risk in two cities plagued by flooding. Our results show that efforts on building urban flood resilience can be undermined by lack of proper coordination between urban development, water management and land use planning. We find that this complexity is magnified by the emergence of the concept of resilience as an urban development goal that is increasingly pursued by various authorities, but that is inherently contested in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies on 'urban informality' stress the role of the state in the production and governing of 'gray spaces'. This paper contributes to this body of research by emphasising the multiple actors involved in the governance of informal land uses and their ambiguous positions on how these spaces should best be understood and approached. Based on an in-depth case study of 'gray' trading spaces in central Accra, I show that individual landowners in the vicinity of trading spots play a crucial role in the governing of roadside trading, together with state actors and traders. Furthermore, traders and state actors are both engaged in ambiguous 'worlding practices' that, on the one hand, envision Accra as becoming a city where street trade is eradicated, while, on the other hand, street trade is considered to be an opportunity for urban (economic) development. These varied perspectives imply that neither traders nor state bodies are uniform actors and that these groups are not necessarily positioned against each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper contributes to unravelling the perceptions of urban commercial drivers regarding their vulnerability to catching the SARS-CoV-2 virus while at work. It further examines how the perception of vulnerability influences personal use of face masks by drivers, as well as on their insistence on appropriate masking behaviour by other persons on-board public transport. Overcrowding and unsanitary conditions in informal public transport in Africa could facilitate the spread of the corona virus. However, the use of face masks, among other enhanced mitigation measures significantly contain and minimize the spread of the virus. Primary data, obtained through surveys at five major public transport terminals in Accra, was analysed and interpreted using the Health Belief Model as an explanatory framework. Results indicate that most drivers have a high vulnerability perception to Covid-19. It further emerged that older drivers, in particular, consistently wore face masks and insisted on other persons in their commercial vehicles to follow suit. Socio-demographic factors, and the need to ensure one's personal safety and those of loved ones were critical determinants of face mask use among surveyed drivers. The study thus recommends that public awareness campaigns should strategically focus attention on the younger generation of drivers (i.e. 18–39 years) who perceived themselves to be immune to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Also, the collaborative efforts of state and non-state actors, like the transport operator unions, must be further strengthened if the gains made so far against Covid-19 is to be sustained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite gated communities becoming a prominent form of housing in the Global South cities, the extent to which these privatized neighborhoods foster a sense of community remains understudied. Most of the studies on sense of community are based on experiences from the Global North. To address this lacuna, this paper examines the extent to which residents of gated communities develop a sense of community and the different factors that are associated with this sense of community. We conducted regression analysis on cross-sectional survey data from Devtraco and Manet gated communities, to determine factors associated with a sense of community in these gated communities. Our findings demonstrate that residents of gated communities exhibit a stronger sense of community—shaped by different individual, household, and environmental characteristics. Interestingly, our study reveals that males have a higher sense of community compared to females. Age, length of residence, tenure status, household size, and proximity to community features were significant factors associated with sense of community. Our study adds to the extant literature on a sense of community among individuals living in gated communities in the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many researchers advocate in-situ upgrading (providing local services and infrastructure) over relocation or resettlement for informal settlement intervention. However, the outcomes from the in-situ approach should be studied further, especially how they affect neighborhood sustainability. Toward that end, this paper investigates how the sustainability performance of settlements correlates with in-situ upgrading. Since Accra broadly employs in-situ upgrading to help underserved areas catch up, it serves as a helpful case study to identify how other African cities could evolve in the future. The findings show that in-situ infrastructural interventions will lead to better sustainability. Meanwhile, the satisfaction levels of infrastructure interventions are varied not only because of the different locations and stakeholders, but also due to their comprehensiveness and the timely upgrades undertaken for settlement expansion. This paper suggests in-situ upgrading is fundamental to Accra and many other African cities as it represents an essential guide to urban development and an opportunity for a "bottom-up" response to existing households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discourses on climate change often characterise African cities as homogenous, experiencing the same climate events and requiring the same planning solutions. However, African cities are diverse and different across regions, scales, and contexts, despite some resemblance of urban problems. This paper addresses the generalisation of climate change issues and urban planning responses in African cities by: (i) exploring how climate impact, specifically flooding is different in one African city in terms of shaping the urban space; and (ii) examining the usefulness of city-focused and driven urban planning responses in addressing these risks. Using Accra, Ghana's capital, as a case study and mixed methods approach, findings indicate that despite the commonality of flood events across African cities, Accra's case is caused by a complex web of locally induced factors such as limited understanding of the geography and hydrology of the city by urban planning authorities, poor practice of informality, and changing weather patterns. Yet, the limited understanding of local driving causes of flooding in Accra has contributed to the use of unworkable top-down general responses (e.g., evictions and demolitions). The case of Accra demonstrates that increased preparedness (involving individuals, households, and institutions) is required to enhance adaptation to flood events rather than the current top-down response approach. In this case, we argue that a general approach to urban planning to address flood events across African cities may not work in all situations. Areas requiring further research are proffered, notably ways for capturing, integrating, and disseminating local knowledge in internationally funded flood planning and management initiatives. • This paper questions the overgeneralisation of climate impacts across African cities. • It discusses the importance of context-specific analysis in climate change debate. • Findings show significant differences in climate socio-geographical processes at the city level. • Bottom-up responses that are sensitive to local factors are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban open-air markets are indispensable institutions in the global South. Yet they are most often confronted with formidable environmental problems such as improper solid waste management (SWM). Accordingly, when research is initiated into the complex world of urban market environmental management (UMEM), the focus tends to be on either SWM technological interventions or the performances of formal or informal SWM actors. Whereas city authorities have desired to understand how to regulate the burgeoning number of informal SWM actors, research priorities have been to advocate for the formalisation and integration of informal systems of SWM with formal systems. Consequently, attention is rarely paid to informal actors' perceptions of SWM integration and formalisation pathways. This paper presents insights into how the integration of informal SWM actors is being approached in Ghana, and how this process is being experienced by the informal actors in Accra's open-air markets. The informal actors' critiques generally related to the formalisation processes, enforcement of legitimate expectations, and limited SWM infrastructure. The biggest obstacle related to the narrow conception of integration as formalisation through public and private sector, as this was perceived by informal SWM workers as an exclusionary, exploitative, and restrictive measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses urbanisation and changed lifestyles and to reveal whether or not there is a balance between these and environmental sustainability in Greater Accra-Ghana. Accra, over the years has become highly urbanised. Unfortunately, this urban growth has not been synonymous with salient development in the provision of basic necessities of its residents. The nature of Accra's urbanisation has been characterised with demographic, socio-economic and environmental challenges. Accra, the capital city of the country is unfortunately battling the serious environmental challenges that have resulted from its urbanisation. It is really of a great worry as these issues usually result from the negligence and nefarious activities of the populace arising from such practices as indiscriminate disposal of wastes, de-vegetation, strain in services which aid in preserving urban environment thus resulting in unhygienic environmental conditions, with serious threats from destructive events such as flooding. This indicates that there has not been a balance between urbanisation, changed lifestyles and environmental sustainability in Accra and hence recommends that city authorities as well as the government of Ghana executes their duties professionally without shirking responsibilities due to political differences in order to ensure that environmental sustainability complements the rate of urbanisation in Accra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of literature indicates that the impacts of natural disasters and resilience vary among individuals and groups, with gender becoming a critical defining factor. However, the influences of gender on resilience at the household level remain largely unexplored. Using data gathered from households in informal settlements in Accra, Ghana, this paper examines the varying effects of flooding on male and female-headed households, gendered differences in resilience, as well as factors influencing these gendered differences. The research revealed that female-headed households had reduced capacities to prepare, cope and recover from the impacts of flooding due to their expected gender roles, relatively larger family sizes, care responsibilities, lower levels of employment, and limited access to resources. These findings show that gender sensitivity to recovery and resilience are key to disaster planning and management programmes, and so the driving forces should be considered in policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the implementation of Ghana’s language-in-education policy in a multilingual classroom in the city of Accra, Ghana. The current policy stipulates the use of the dominant local language as the medium of instruction. Ten (10) public basic schools in the Krowor municipal district of Accra were used for the study. The study participants comprised one hundred pupils (ten pupils from each school) of Basic 1 and eleven teachers. Qualitative research tools were used in collecting and analyzing data. The analysis revealed that most of the classrooms in the district were made up of pupils with multilingual backgrounds. Pupils and teachers who were not proficient in Ga, the dominant language of the locality, had communication challenges. The researchers recommend, among other things, that for the policy to be workable, policy makers (Ministry of Education, Ghana) and implementers (Ghana Education Service) need to collaborate to ensure that, in posting teachers to Basic schools in Ghana, their indigenous language background is considered. In the case of the pupils, a bilingual approach, proffered by NALAP is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main challenges undermining water supply in African cities is the rapid decay of networked infrastructures. Urban water managers, policymakers and researchers, however, have paid little attention to repair and maintenance or to their importance for the operation and renewal of urban water utilities. Using a sociotechnical framework, this paper investigates the maintenance and repair practices of utility officials from two water companies, one in Accra and one in Dar es Salaam. More specifically, through the interplay of four variables, we develop a novel analytical framework inspired by science and technology studies to explain and compare the contingent, place-based maintenance and repair practices that shape urban water supply. These four variables are materialities, discourses, institutional arrangements, and the knowledge of local experts. The two aims of this paper are to explain how the 'everyday' repair and maintenance practices of utility officials shape water supply, and to draw lessons for improving water supply in both cities. Our findings show that repair and maintenance practices are strongly shaped by place-based materialities and contextual knowledge in water supply, but at the same time are contingent on wider national and international relations as reflected in discourses, policies, and the supply of technical and material spare parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In sub-Saharan African cities, community-driven development has emerged as a collective response to entrenched socio-spatial inequalities and inappropriate local development planning responses to the challenges of informal settlements. Social capital is considered to stimulate such community-driven initiatives. There are also claims that social capital can impede the sustainable development of informal settlements. Yet, none of these streams pay due attention to what forms of social capital and what urban social context social capital influences community-led informal settlement improvement. This paper sought to examine the influential role of bonding and bridging social capital on community-driven development (CDD) by comparing indigenous and migrant urban informal settlements in Accra, Ghana. Drawing on a quantitative study with 300 participants in two informal settlements and using a robust multi-group analysis, the findings revealed that bonding social capital had a positive effect on CDD (β = 0.27, p = 0.05) in the indigenous informal settlement (Abese Quarter) but insignificant relationship (β = -0.33, p = 0.36) in the migrant informal settlement (Old-Tulaku). Contrarily, bridging social capital had a positive effect on the migrant (β = 0.87, p = 0.05) but not on indigenous informal settlements (β = 0.07, p = 0.09). The paper concludes that the exploitation of social capital in bottom-up informal settlement improvement is more nuanced, and context-specific applications are imperative for research and practice. For policymakers and built environment professionals, the paper suggests leveraging social capital as a means (not ends) for building formal-informal collaborations through the co-production of bottom-up initiatives for inclusive and sustainable improvements to maximize the positives and minimize the negatives. • Social capital's role in community-driven development (CDD) is inconclusive and fragmented. • We examine the influence of bonding and bridging social capital in two contrasting urban informal settlements. • Bonding social capital positively affected CDD in the indigenous informal settlement but was insignificant in the migrant one. • Bridging social capital positively influenced CDD in the migrant informal settlement but not in the indigenous one. • Formal-informal collaborations are essential to maximize the positives of social capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing assumption in urban studies literature is that the urban poor remain vulnerable to climate change impacts yet excluded from planning interventions and their formation. However, at present, there is dearth of research examining the adaptation practices by the urban poor in African cities. Focusing on Ghana's capital, Accra, the purpose of this study is fourfold: (i) to explore climate change literacy among the urban poor and local planning institutions; (ii) to examine the urban poor's perceptions on climatic events in Accra; (iii) to analyze autonomous adaptation measures to climate change impacts; and (iv) to assess planned adaptation measures to climate change impacts. This paper uses household surveys, secondary data analysis and agency interviews in two informal communities - Nima and Chorkor - in Accra as case studies. Underpinned by the social exclusion theory, the results show limited climate literacy despite widespread experience of climate change impacts by the urban poor. Most adaptation measures were community driven and autonomous while the limited institutional responses were both planned and autonomous. However, both community and institutional planning responses were ad-hoc, reactionary and unsustainable. The paper recommends consideration of community-based self-organizing adaptation measures into city plans to ensure that autonomous measures are complemented with planned adaptation strategies. In addition to stakeholder participation, collaborations and partnerships in climate change adaptation, pro-poor adaptation measures - both autonomous and planned remain imperative as they can contribute to inclusive and just climate change policy. • Urban poor remain vulnerable to climate change impacts. • They are excluded from climate planning action. • Adaptation measures were community driven and autonomous. • Institutional responses to climate change are unsustainable. • Stakeholder partnerships in pro-poor adaptation required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing body of literature on place attachment, research on this topic in the Global South remains limited. This is especially concerning given the significant impact of residential environments, such as slums, on the lived experiences of their inhabitants. This paper addresses this gap by examining the dynamics of place attachment in Nima and Old Fadama, the two largest slums in Accra. Specifically, the study investigates how residents of these neighborhoods perceive their places of residence and the factors that underlie these perceptions. Using semi-structured interviews, we found that some participants in Nima exhibited a generally positive sense of place attachment, while most of those from Old Fadama expressed predominantly negative feelings due to the severe deprivations they endure. This study underscores the need to view slums as complex and dynamic urban conditions rather than static and homogeneous environments. By taking a place-based approach, policymakers can better understand the unique needs and perspectives of slum residents, which is critical for developing effective interventions that promote positive place attachment and enhance the overall well-being of these communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main challenges undermining water supply in African cities is the rapid decay of networked infrastructures. Urban water managers, policymakers and researchers, however, have paid little attention to repair and maintenance or to their importance for the operation and renewal of urban water utilities. Using a sociotechnical framework, this paper investigates the maintenance and repair practices of utility officials from two water companies, one in Accra and one in Dar es Salaam. More specifically, through the interplay of four variables, we develop a novel analytical framework inspired by science and technology studies to explain and compare the contingent, place-based maintenance and repair practices that shape urban water supply. These four variables are materialities, discourses, institutional arrangements, and the knowledge of local experts. The two aims of this paper are to explain how the 'everyday' repair and maintenance practices of utility officials shape water supply, and to draw lessons for improving water supply in both cities. Our findings show that repair and maintenance practices are strongly shaped by place-based materialities and contextual knowledge in water supply, but at the same time are contingent on wider national and international relations as reflected in discourses, policies, and the supply of technical and material spare parts.

This paper interrogates the persistence of urban master planning in African cities. Critiques of master planning in Africa label it as a stifling product of colonial legacies, an inappropriate imposition of external ideas, or a device to achieve the goals of global actors, all seen as being at odds with the rapidly changing settlement patterns and needs of many African urban contexts. This paper instead focuses on the role of local planning actors in the demand for and the production of master plans and proposes a different analytical perspective on the role of master planning in African urban contexts. Notably, we point to the weak presence of master planning in colonial contexts, in contrast with the strong activation of master plans to shape the ambitions of newly independent governments. We observe also the nuanced interactions between local actors and transnational circuits and influences in devising and implementing plans. The paper presents three case studies which demonstrate the persistence of master planning practices through the post-independence period and their proliferation in contemporary moments. We document the diverse range of local actors who have chosen to retain or revise colonial planning legacies, initiate new city-wide master planning, or solicit, shape and assume responsibility for master planning promoted by transnational circuits of development and planning. We find that actors embedded in local or national institutions, and a wide variety of transnational actors, are driven by a range of, at times conflicting, interests and ideas about what planning is and is meant to do. Historical surveys and in-depth interviews with current actors, as well as those from the recent past in Accra (Ghana), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and Lilongwe (Malawi), help us to identify three aspects of urban master planning which challenge existing interpretations. We observe that master planning has been a persistent presence, although often taking a more ephemeral form in extended "silent" periods when outdated but valued plans remained operative. We note that complex political tensions and institutional landscapes shape enthusiasm for, and control over the nature, preparation, adoption and implementation of master plans, including their being side-lined or resisted – local-national dynamics are crucial here. This leads to a pragmatic engagement with transnational actors to bring forward different kinds of plans. The prolific production of master plans supported by multiple transnational actors in poorly resourced contexts constitutes a dynamic, although at times counterproductive, terrain of visioning and practical planning initiatives seeking to grapple with the pace and unpredictability of urbanisation. Our analysis provides an opening for considering the politics of urban planning from an African-centric perspective and as an active part of African urbanization. • Master planning in urban Africa has been a persistent practice in post-colonial years. • Pragmatic engagement with transnational actors produces different kinds of master plans. • The proliferation of master plans constitutes a dynamic terrain of planning practice. • Complex political tensions shape the implementation of master plans. • Urban master planning is an active part of African urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to housing data in Ghana has been a challenge for researchers due to the lack of comprehensive data sources. However, the recent availability of big data sources has presented opportunities to bridge this data access gap. Using Greater Accra as a case, this study uses web scraping techniques to acquire publicly available housing data from two major E-commerce websites in Ghana and explores the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area's (GAMA) prevailing housing market. Spatial autocorrelation statistics show clustering of high median prices in known high-class neighborhoods. Median prices in high-class neighborhoods were three to five times higher than median prices in the entire metropolis, highlighting high housing costs in high-class neighborhoods. This research highlights the high housing cost in GAMA, making it impossible for the average resident to afford to buy a house. Hence, a more inclusive housing strategy is needed to provide affordable housing options for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the proliferation of informal mobile phone markets and contributes to the understanding of the changing urban economic geographies in Africa. It enriches comparative research by modestly bringing new theoretical ideas to bear, and explores how the spatial geography of mobile phone markets mediates urban governance. We argue that regardless of where in Accra mobile phone markets emerge, the same kind of processes and activities develop, and this recognition contrasts other works, which either focus on the city as a whole or on specific sites. Using key informant interviews, augmented with cognitive mapping, we observe the geography of mobile phone repairs and sales, intersecting socio-economic factors, and a collaborative culture among participants. Ultimately, our article touches upon the issues of power and agency by elucidating the relational dynamics between the informal operators and city authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban planning remains an important tool in managing climate change impacts. It also remains crucial in building sustainable adaptive capacities, particularly in cities of the global north. It however remains largely unknown in urban Africa about planning agencies' perspectives on climate change adaptation-urban planning conundrum, and corresponding policy responses. This paper thus examines urban planners' perspectives and planning responses on managing climate change impacts and building adaptive capacities in Accra, Ghana. Using a review of four relevant urban planning and climate change policies, and interviews with five urban planning agencies in Accra, findings indicate that urban planning regimes are less efficient, more reactionary, and unsustainable in building resilience and adaptive capacities to climate change impacts. The findings show evidence of weak institutional and stakeholder coordination, inadequate funds and institutional logistics and human capacity, which have contributed to the inability to manage 'normal' climate change impacts such as floods and build resilience to them. The paper concludes with suggestions for building resilience to climate change impacts and incorporating adaptation concerns into urban planning efforts in Ghana. • Hydrological disasters have increased in frequency due to climate change and other human induced activities • Urban planning is an important tool in building sustainable adaptive capacities to climate change • Urban planning regimes are less efficient, reactionary and unsustainable in building climate resilience in Ghana • Weak institutional coordination have contributed to the city's inability to manage 'normal' climate change impacts [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the perceptions of households towards container urbanism, a rising alternative urban development trend in Ghana. The research connects the increasing popularity of container urbanism to the Right to the City and NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) phenomena, a relationship that has been under-explored in the context of Southern urbanism. Questionnaire surveys were administered to 337 household heads who are non-container users. The study reveals that these household heads view container improvisation as a function of choice, temporality, and affordability. The findings also indicate that a significant number of household heads are opposed to container urbanism due to its perceived negative impact on the urban environment and the loss of open spaces. Furthermore, the study found strong evidence for the regulation of container urbanism, which reinforces social divisions by marginalizing certain socioeconomic groups. The results demonstrate how opposition to container urbanism and informal urban processes, in general, can evolve from passive to organized resistance in African cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compound and shared low-income houses in Ghana have economic, social, cultural, and familial advantages. Yet, COVID-19 and its related lockdown and home confinement in two urban cities, Accra and Kumasi, raised questions about the appropriateness of staying in a compound house while observing the COVID-19 protocols. Whereas a few studies have underscored the ineffectiveness of COVID-19 protocols in low-income shared houses, these assume a homogeneity of such households without reflecting on the diversities that exist among and between the different categories of low-income households and the imperative nuanced implications for the spread of infectious diseases. Against this backdrop the paper employed qualitative methodologies of in-depth interviews and non-participant observations to interrogate the experiences of low-income households' utilisation of space as they observed COVID-19 protocols. Drawing respondents from four low-income communities in Accra, the authors examined how traditional family households and non-traditional family households implemented the safety protocols and their implications for shared housing. Issues of sharing inadequate communal facilities and public health concerns as well as lack of access to inadequate water and living spaces impacted the respondents' COVID-19 experience. The study discovered that households' socioeconomic status is directly related to the management of epidemics in urban spaces in Ghana. • Over-crowding and sharing of communal facilities in compound houses raised public health concerns. • A renewed sense of communalism and bonding resulted among households in compound houses during the pandemic. • Existing social networks in houses increased conviviality and psychological resilience for people to deal with lockdown. • Implementing COVID-19 lockdown directives did not take into consideration the socioeconomic status of urban communities. • Efficient planning should be people-centered as local communities become partners and agents of transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes how daily mobility may be disrupted or constrained due to the flooding of road infrastructure. The empirical focus is Accra, Ghana, a rapidly growing African city with frequent flood events due to heavy rainfall. In the context of very scarce mobility data availability from official sources, this study proposes a novel way to utilize data from a large survey of mobility patterns conducted through in-person interviews in four peri-urban neighbourhoods. The survey targeted economically active adults and provided spatially explicit data on frequent destinations within the city when travelling in relation to income-generating activities. Using survey data on mobility patterns and detailed population data, we present a transport model with estimates of daily traffic volumes. At the city-wide scale, we propose a method for combining this transport model with maps of flood-prone locations derived from digital terrain models. At the local scale, we propose a method for analyzing the impact of flood events that restrict access to and from urban neighbourhoods. The presented results include maps of flood locations with a high impact on overall mobility, as well as maps that illustrate the spatial extent of this impact within the Accra region. At the local scale, the results illustrate the degree of potential isolation of smaller urban areas during flooding and identify the flood locations with the most significant impact on this issue. It is argued that the presented methods for identifying hotspots of flood-induced mobility disruptions may assist planners and policymakers in providing more resilient infrastructure and mitigate the adverse effects of flooding on urban transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses the social exchange and spillover theories to examine the interrelationships between distributive justice, work attitudes, and life satisfaction of hotel employees in Accra, Ghana. Paper-and-pencil questionnaires were used to collect data from 321 respondents after which descriptive statistics and partial least square structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. Distributive justice and work attitudes were positively related to the life satisfaction levels of hotel employees. This study adds to the scant literature on how workplace goings-on spillover to affect the life satisfaction of hotel workers. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.

ABSTRACTWalking is a fundamental mode of transport for many people globally, with immense health and environmental benefits. However, increased walking is associated with an increased risk of road traffic crashes and injuries, especially where traffic enforcement is poor, and pedestrians could easily be distracted. Despite this, a plethora of evidence exists on driver distraction; however, there is a dread of evidence of pedestrian distraction (i.e. distracted walking), particularly in Africa. This paper uses a quantitative methodology to examine the predictors of distractive activities to walking in Accra, Ghana. The study surveyed 400 pedestrians within Accra’s Central Business District (CBD). A questionnaire was deployed via Kobo Toolkit and Jamovi was used in analysing the data. The study observed that three of the top four distractive activities to walking were digital devices-related (e.g. the use of mobile phones). We found that listening to music, making, receiving phone calls, and conversing with other people while walking are the main distractive activities. The binary logistic regression model found sex, age, level of education, occupation, reasons for walking, weekly time for walking and time for common trips as significant predictors of distractive activities to walking.

Access to public transport increases vulnerable people's social mobility, facilitates economic integration and improves general well‐being. This is possible given the low vehicular acquisition and low cost required to enjoy public transport services. Unfortunately, the discourse on the responsiveness of public transport services to the disability community in the Global South has been viewed from users' perspectives, leaving out key stakeholders whose actions impact persons with disability (PWDs') mobility needs. This study seeks to fill the gap by exploring stakeholders' responses to the travel needs of commuters with disability in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. Employing an exploratory research design, this study purposively engaged five national stakeholders on transport and disability issues. All interviews and transcripts were transcribed using MaxQDA. The qualitative data analysis was iterative as the study adopted a thematic analytical approach to explore participants' opinions. From the data, all stakeholders did not have a disability‐inclined transport agenda or policy despite making various attempts to meet the travel needs of PWDs. Some attempts include the reliance on one's discretion as seen in the case of transport operators, while other stakeholders appeared to offer little support due to financial and administrative bottlenecks. Transport‐oriented stakeholders cared little about PWD while disability‐oriented stakeholders cared little about transport issues. This study recommends a consultative action framework to guide all stakeholders in ensuring the delivery of barrier‐free transport services to the disability community. Access to public transport increases vulnerable people's social mobility but the discourse on the responsiveness of public transport services to the disability community ignores key stakeholders whose actions impact persons with disability (PWDs') mobility needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of large-scale projects including road infrastructures is often seen as the driver of socio-economic growth and development of countries. Interestingly, in the Global South, road infrastructures trigger various socio-spatial impacts, including fragmentations and changes in the quality of life in cities, however, little attention is given to that. This paper addresses the question: how does socio-spatial fragmentation triggered by road expansion connect to different domains of peri-urban life in Accra, Ghana? The research employed a case study approach using qualitative, quantitative and spatial methods to examine how socio-spatial fragmentations triggered by road expansion affect different domains of Accra peri-urban quality of life, Ghana, at the community level. The study found that with the road infrastructure, gated housing types emerged, and low-income residents were displaced into the hinterlands, leading to residential segregation, which negatively affected social interactions in peri-urban Accra. Moreover, though the road infrastructure improved the connectivity of physical infrastructure services, which attracted more people to the studied communities, informal settlements emerged within certain parts of them due to the non-enforcement of planning regulations, creating some fragmentation processes. The findings of the study suggest that fragmentation is due to policy shortcomings and improvements in housing and services domains. • Road infrastructure improves the connectivity of physical infrastructure services in peri-urban communities. • Road infrastructure attract middle-and high-income people to peri-urban communities to enjoy those physical infrastructure services. • Low-income people tend to be displaced by those high-income people attracted by the improved road infrastructures. • The movement of low-income into hinterlands creates fragmentation processes within peri-urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Shopping malls in the global South have been expanding rapidly, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, since 2000. Among others, they are seen as part of the processes of globalization, modernization and modernity. Using a mixed-methods approach based on case study of malls in Accra, Ghana, this study argues that malls in the global South, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, project images of modernity on account that they are framed as multiple loci of collective consumption and, as well, tend to represent nodes of global convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies report that independent transnational female migration is growing rapidly in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, scholarship on the 'left-behind' in the migration process largely focuses on women and children, with little attention paid to men left behind. Using qualitative methods, with Folkman et al.'s coping theory, to examine the coping strategies of men left behind in the migration process in Ghana, this study fills an important research gap in the migration and the left-behind literature. Through the snowball sampling method, 12 in-depth interviews were conducted with men in the Accra Metropolis whose spouses were staying abroad. Participants explained that left-behind husbands cope with domestic work and care through support from family relations, careful planning and time management, eating out in food joints, and paid services from domestic workers. Participants also mentioned that these men cope emotionally through social media, religion, regular visits to spouses and engaging in extramarital affairs. The results demonstrate that in the absence of migrant spouses, husbands adapt using a variety of coping mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]