Flood risk reduction and resilient city growth in sub-Saharan Africa: searching for coherence in Accra's urban planning
Urban resilience experts have highlighted that frequent extreme weather events are a result of rapid, unplanned development and climate change. To ensure coherent urban planning, effective land governance has been a priority since the introduction of the national urban policy in 2012. However, despi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Cities |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsc.2024.1118896/full |
| _version_ | 1797299752934572032 |
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| author | Martin Oteng-Ababio Jytte Agergaard Lasse Møller-Jensen Manja H. Andreasen |
| author_facet | Martin Oteng-Ababio Jytte Agergaard Lasse Møller-Jensen Manja H. Andreasen |
| author_sort | Martin Oteng-Ababio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Urban resilience experts have highlighted that frequent extreme weather events are a result of rapid, unplanned development and climate change. To ensure coherent urban planning, effective land governance has been a priority since the introduction of the national urban policy in 2012. However, despite implementing this policy for over a decade, poor land governance continues to negatively impact city development, yet this subject has received limited academic attention. Our study focuses on Santa Maria, a community historically neglected by planning officials and currently facing unregulated urbanization and increasing flood risks. We used qualitative research methods, including key informant interviews and document reviews, to unpack land ownership and management complexities. These complexities have led to “planning by the commons,” the creation of green space deserts, and challenges related to residents' mobility and livelihood. Our study affirms that auto-constructed communities like Santa Maria reflect a form of tenacious urbanism that should be acknowledged and respected. Incorporating its logic into proposals for consolidation, informed by the opinions and desires of the residents themselves, can help integrate “planning by the commons” into the urban planning process of Accra. Rather than being viewed as a problem to be cured, this approach should be incorporated into the planning process, incorporating locally specific social functions and traditional structures to ensure equitable and just urban societies. The public sector must recognize that building on local capacity, skills, and expertise is essential in the quest for a resilient city. The experience from Santa Maria provides a great opportunity to nurture local development, fulfill the growing demand for solutions and services without biases, and provide an excellent opportunity for inclusive growth. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:56:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5569404cf3704edfa7bfee995e30a544 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2624-9634 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:56:10Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sustainable Cities |
| spelling | doaj.art-5569404cf3704edfa7bfee995e30a5442024-02-23T04:22:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Cities2624-96342024-02-01610.3389/frsc.2024.11188961118896Flood risk reduction and resilient city growth in sub-Saharan Africa: searching for coherence in Accra's urban planningMartin Oteng-Ababio0Jytte Agergaard1Lasse Møller-Jensen2Manja H. Andreasen3Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DenmarkDepartment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DenmarkUrban resilience experts have highlighted that frequent extreme weather events are a result of rapid, unplanned development and climate change. To ensure coherent urban planning, effective land governance has been a priority since the introduction of the national urban policy in 2012. However, despite implementing this policy for over a decade, poor land governance continues to negatively impact city development, yet this subject has received limited academic attention. Our study focuses on Santa Maria, a community historically neglected by planning officials and currently facing unregulated urbanization and increasing flood risks. We used qualitative research methods, including key informant interviews and document reviews, to unpack land ownership and management complexities. These complexities have led to “planning by the commons,” the creation of green space deserts, and challenges related to residents' mobility and livelihood. Our study affirms that auto-constructed communities like Santa Maria reflect a form of tenacious urbanism that should be acknowledged and respected. Incorporating its logic into proposals for consolidation, informed by the opinions and desires of the residents themselves, can help integrate “planning by the commons” into the urban planning process of Accra. Rather than being viewed as a problem to be cured, this approach should be incorporated into the planning process, incorporating locally specific social functions and traditional structures to ensure equitable and just urban societies. The public sector must recognize that building on local capacity, skills, and expertise is essential in the quest for a resilient city. The experience from Santa Maria provides a great opportunity to nurture local development, fulfill the growing demand for solutions and services without biases, and provide an excellent opportunity for inclusive growth.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsc.2024.1118896/fullspatial planningland governanceInstitutional ambiguityPlanning by the CommonsUrban floods |
| spellingShingle | Martin Oteng-Ababio Jytte Agergaard Lasse Møller-Jensen Manja H. Andreasen Flood risk reduction and resilient city growth in sub-Saharan Africa: searching for coherence in Accra's urban planning Frontiers in Sustainable Cities spatial planning land governance Institutional ambiguity Planning by the Commons Urban floods |
| title | Flood risk reduction and resilient city growth in sub-Saharan Africa: searching for coherence in Accra's urban planning |
| title_full | Flood risk reduction and resilient city growth in sub-Saharan Africa: searching for coherence in Accra's urban planning |
| title_fullStr | Flood risk reduction and resilient city growth in sub-Saharan Africa: searching for coherence in Accra's urban planning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Flood risk reduction and resilient city growth in sub-Saharan Africa: searching for coherence in Accra's urban planning |
| title_short | Flood risk reduction and resilient city growth in sub-Saharan Africa: searching for coherence in Accra's urban planning |
| title_sort | flood risk reduction and resilient city growth in sub saharan africa searching for coherence in accra s urban planning |
| topic | spatial planning land governance Institutional ambiguity Planning by the Commons Urban floods |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsc.2024.1118896/full |
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