Michael Poku-Boansi

Contextualizing transport infrastructure and services in Ghanaian peri-urbanism

ABSTRACT This study interrogates the demand and supply of transport infrastructure and services in peri-urban areas of Sunyani Municipality in Ghana. Structured one-on-one interviews were conducted with 100 households across three peri-urban communities in Sunyani (Abesim-Kyidom, Asuakwaa and Adomako). Findings revealed that a majority of peri-urban households (84%) in the study communities who commute daily to and from the city centre are faced with poor transport infrastructure (e.g. poor conditions of road) and unreliable services (e.g. unregulated public transport). Inadequate investment in transport infrastructure and services by the Ghanaian government, the limited activity locations in peri-urban areas, and the concentration of activity locations at the city centre were identified to be contributing to the poor state of transport infrastructure and services in the case study communities. Policy recommendations to improve the situation are further proffered.

An analysis of the costs and quality of infrastructure facilities in informal settlements in Kumasi, Ghana

ABSTRACT The literature on urban development generally posits that informal settlements offer low cost housing to the urban poor in developing countries. Using data from four informal settlements in Kumasi, Ghana, this paper analyses the costs and quality of water and sanitation infrastructure delivery in relation to the socio-economic conditions of residents. It finds a paradox where residents of deprived informal settlements pay higher fees for the use of low-quality privately-owned outdoor commercial water and sanitation facilities. The study therefore calls for a re-examination of urban upgrading programmes to focus on approaches that consider the financial implications of projects on beneficiaries.

Climate Change and the Housing Environment in Ghana

The impact of climate change as a developmental issue in Ghana is receiving considerable attention due to the difficulties most inhabitants are facing. The situation has been further compounded by the periodic flooding of Accra and other parts of the country, resulting in loss of life and property. This chapter examines the impact of climate change on the housing environment in Ghana. It reviews temperature, humidity and rainfall figures of Accra and Kumasi, the two major cities in Ghana, over a period of 10 years, in a bid to establish the changes that have taken place, and subsequently link these with the changes in the housing environment in the two cities. The chapter also provides some lessons and recommendations for consideration by policy makers and planners in a bid to avert future difficulties within the built environments in Ghana, which have been brought about by changes in climate.