Michael Poku-Boansi

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science and Technology | KNUST · Department of Planning

The reliability of public transport systems is often reported in transportation literature as an essential factor in assessing the quality of urban transport services. Studies have largely examined the effects of transport reliability from the perspective of both customers and operators. Policies and interventions have been largely based on the exp...

Sekondi-Takoradi is the most urbanized metropolis in the Western region of Ghana. Over the past two decades, it has experienced rapid shifts in both population density and land cover. Unfortunately, these transformations have significantly altered the natural landscape and expanded urban coverage. Previous studies have not established enough eviden...

This paper responds to the emerging concerns of residential dissonance character by examining the position and influence of the “life-course” framework of households on residential mobility decisions and the conjunct attainment of subjective well-being in their current and anticipated residential locations. Using data from a cross-sectional survey...

Green spaces provide flood-regulating functions that help minimize the impact of flooding. However, in urban Africa, rapid urbanization has led to the decline and deterioration of greeneries, which have adverse outcomes on the preparedness of cities to respond to ecological disasters, particularly flooding. Through the review of eight relevant urba...

The article focuses on the integration of green space planning into flood management interventions in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. The article further discusses the need for incorporating green spaces into flood management strategies to address the impacts of climate change. It highlights the importance of adaptive capacity and building resilien...

Past reflections help shape the future, but extant literature on politics, space, and politics of space (PoS) does not adequately blend these concepts for a comprehensive and futuristic appreciation. This paper presents a narrative synthesis of existing knowledge to connect, unveil and comprehensively overview politics, space and PoS. Using a quali...

The Central Business District (CBD)[1] mimics a jungle where businesses and people compete for the best space and use because of its socioeconomic and political roles in a city. This zone attracts many users and uses, making it a focus of regulative planning, which is perceived as a useful behavioural control tool. However, whether a CBD's space us...

With the rising demand for housing across the globe, rental housing has become a major alternative in meeting deficit supply. However, there is a significant gap between what is supplied, vis-à-vis what consumers prefer. Using a discrete choice experimental approach, we examined the most significant factors that influence housing renters' prefere...

This study examines the relationship between translocality and transportation in developing countries from the perspective of sustainable development. Using sub-Saharan Africa as a case study and relying on secondary data, the study established that migration is directly and significantly dependent on transportation. In addition, the paper observed...

This paper examined land use and land cover (LULC) change and implications to biodiversity in the Owabi catchment of Atwima Nwabiagya North District in Ghana from 1991 to 2021 using remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS), with participatory methods such as interviews and questionnaires with a sample size of 200 participants. The u...

African urban areas and cities are primarily seen as vulnerable to climate change. Apparent attempts to get required policies have led to the widespread proliferation of overlapping and duplications of policies. Using a policy coherence framework, this study aims to synthesise the coherency of climate adaptation and urban policies in Ghana. The stu...

The main entry and exit point for freight into Ghana are by the sea. However, freight is transported to the hinterlands and beyond, by road only. Freight vehicle operators who haul these goods to various destinations encounter several difficulties related to parking at the seaport of Tema, the biggest port in Ghana. This study seeks to understand t...

As the chapter contributions by the various authors in this book have demonstrated, transport and mobility in Africa are not simply about shuttling people and goods from one point to another. Instead, they are fundamental to creating inclusive and sustainable cities.

The growing incidence of urbanization and its associated transport challenges has resulted in a relook of the transport policy and governance regimes in Africa. These policy and governance initiatives are aimed toward a sustainable public transport future for African cities. Part 3 of this book examines these ongoing reforms using specific case cou...

Dominated by the private sector and several informal operators, the contours of urban transport operation and pricing in many African countries are shaped by complex socio-economic factors, political alliances and local actions. In most cases, national and local governments’ attempt to regulate urban transport operations and pricing has failed due...

This book provides a collection of insightful conceptual and empirical works that situate transport and mobility challenges in the unique context of individual countries and cities while highlighting commonalities across the African continent. Written from an interdisciplinary perspective, the book covers important themes in transport and mobility...

Coastal resilience strategies are vital for managing the impacts of climatic shocks and stresses that bedevils coastal zones globally. Coastal strategies that reflect indigenous knowledge and practices as well as local adaptation efforts are productive in promoting resilience to coastal erosion at the local level. However, there has been less commo...

In this introductory chapter, we briefly sketch the transport and mobility situations of African cities today. We highlight the urban mobility and transport problems that are becoming increasingly pronounced as urban areas in Africa have expanded in population and physical size. We also introduce the five thematic focus of the book, and set the bac...

The actual and perceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mobility and use of public and social spaces in African cities are discussed. Due to their informal growth and less use of technology, residents in African cities usually depend on direct social and economic contacts in everyday business transactions. In Ghana restrictions were imposed on...

Urban transport systems in countries of the Global South are essentially dominated by private groups and individuals which have been largely classified as informal and requiring formalisation by governments and city managers. Promoting efficient and sustainable public transport systems in cities has led to the formation of two schools of thought: e...

In response to increasing traffic crashes along highways in Africa, various interventions have been adopted with varied outcomes. Though the specific impacts of various interventions have not been measured, rumble strips appear to be the dominant choice in many countries around Sub-Saharan Africa. Using the Accra-Cape Coast trunk road, a section of...

There is evidence to suggest that effective planning and tailoring resettlement schemes to the circumstances of displaced population are more likely to satisfy the target population. In spite of this, the topic is not well explored in developing countries. To address this research gap, we employed mixed methods to analyse surveys and interviews. We...

Even though elsewhere in the Western world and the gulf regions, many studies explore the effect of extreme weather conditions on the construction of houses, little is known in sub-Saharan Africa. This study therefore engages homeowners and various construction workers in a qualitative study to analyze how rainfall affects the building of houses. A...

The influx of people of different sociocultural and ethnic background affects the composition of the city in ways that go beyond the conventional disaggregation by age, sex and income. The paper examines (i) the nature and patterns of residential segregation of ethnic minorities, (ii) the factors and processes underlying the locational choice of et...

This paper explores the determinants of subjective wellbeing in rural communities in Ghana. Using data collected from 310 households from ten rural communities in the Juaben Municipality in Ghana, we investigate the factors that influence subjective wellbeing among residents as well as formulate a model to measure happiness using the OLS and ordina...

Like many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana’s urban land use planning is fraught with complex socio-cultural, economic and political factors. Till date, land use planning remains a key challenge for managing urban growth and city governance. The complexities involved in land use planning in most developing countries and Ghana in particular, ha...

This article examines the effects of urban growth and urbanisation on travel behaviour in Ghanaian cities, using Apeadu, Kodiekrom and Apemso; all suburbs of Kumasi as case study communities. Using data from 317 households, document review and agency official interviews, the study findings show that the incidence of urbanisation and urban growth ha...

The prevalence of urban poverty and its spatial manifestations have been thoroughly discussed in the academic literature. This paper contributes to that ongoing discussion, by unpacking that geographies of poverty in Kumasi, a rapidly growing African city. It analyses the spatial patterns and changing concentrations of poverty over the last five ye...

This paper provides a review of the historical development of Ghana’s public transport services from pre-colonial period to the current dispensation (2016). Using the theory of path dependency, this paper enhances an understanding of the factors that have contributed to shaping public transport services in Ghana. Using key informant interviews, sec...

For years, flood vulnerability management in Accra, the capital of Ghana, has been limited to demolition of affected buildings, forced eviction of flood victims or distribution of relieve items. While such approaches have either been resisted or condemned by affected households, state and city authorities have defended them as the most appropriate...

While research in the developed world has shown that aspirations for home-ownership are influenced in part by negative experiences in the private rented sector, little is known about the situation in developing countries. To address this gap, this article presents a situational analysis of renters and how their current tenure situations shape their...

Introduction Urban transport and travel safety in African cities have not received enough attention in global research and policy. This paper contributes to this gap, by exploring how travel behaviours and patterns of school pupils between the ages of 6–15 years are expose to risk of fatal injury around Accra, Ghana's capital. Methods The study ad...

Literature is replete with information indicating that the roles, status and positions of men and women in society have evolved significantly over the years. Yet, there is a little understanding of how such changes have occurred in homeownership attainment in developing countries where there is male dominance. Using Ghana as a case study, this stud...

Cities in Sub-Saharan Africa are undergoing massive spatial transformation owing to rapid urbanization. For many cities in the Global North, Latin America and Asia, spatial transformation has been traditionally characterised by a shift from monocentric to polycentric urban patterns. In the case of Sub-Saharan Africa, however, it is unclear whether...

The paper examines the attitudes and roles of urbanites towards the sustainability of urban parks; using Kumasi’s Rattray Park as a case. Using semi-structured interviews and observations, data was obtained from 217 users of the Park as well as relevant institutions mandated to manage urban parks in the Metropolis - Town and Country Planning Depart...

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 residen...

Increasing urbanisation and the growth of urban areas in cities in developing countries present major challenges for local governments, policy makers and urban planners even though the phenomenon offers opportunities. Studies focusing on the quality of life (QoL) help in assessing objectively, urban conditions which inform urban policy and planning...

This paper examines the relationship between transport and telecommunication in developing countries within the broader concept of Smart Cities. Using Ghana as a case study, and drawing mainly on secondary data and few institutional surveys, the paper establishes that telegraph and telephone facilities, as well as new fiber optic networks are heavi...

The measurement of quality of life (QoL) can be used as an urban planning tool to address challenges confronting the management of urban centers. The results of such measurements may provide the required basis for formulating future spatial and urban planning policies. Using the city of Kumasi, this paper examines the determinants of QoL of residen...

This study estimates population exposure risks associated with the transportation of hazardous materials using the Accra – Kumasi Highway (N6) in Ghana as a case corridor. Using the mixed methods approach which resulted in collecting both qualitative and quantitative data from transport operators and relevant agencies, the paper estimates that acci...

Globally, transport literature indicates a strong effect of land use on urban travel as people living in low density suburban areas tend to travel more by car than people living in high density urban areas. This is because in dense areas, public transport is organised more efficiently and travellers tend to travel shorter distances. However, this a...

This article reports on a research conducted in major Ghanaian cities of Accra and Kumasi that explored urban planners’ perspectives on the urban resilience philosophy, and evaluated the available strategies for absorbing disturbances (e.g., floods, rapid population growth, and slum development) while retaining the identity, structure and functiona...

Rapid urbanization in Ghanaian cities coupled with limited supply of housing units and information gap on the market has made its access a socio-economic concern for many urbanites. To survive competition and gain access to the limited housing units in the market, tenants seek the services of rental agents to facilitate their acquisition processes....

Bus Rapid Transit systems exist in over 206 cities and 45 countries around the world. They are seen to provide a much lower cost option of mass mobility than fixed rail or underground systems which developing countries struggle to afford. Whilst BRT systems have undoubtedly been seen to be successful from a transport system perspective, they are mo...

Accessibility is frequently reported in transportation and urban planning studies as an important factor in the location or design of residential neighbourhoods. But, to what extent does accessibility influence residential location decisions of households remains unknown in urban Ghana. This paper uses household surveys and agency consultations to...

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 househo...

In this paper, an analysis of civic initiatives to collectively realise a particular community ambition amongst informal settlers in a Ghanaian metropolitan area is presented. This community ambition is grounded in collective intent with no government or city authority intervention. Using secondary data review and interviews conducted in two select...

This paper sets forth a set of four principles that define and operationalise the concept of urban resilience. Using these four principles, 105 registered planners with the Ghana Institute of Planners were interviewed and five most recent and relevant national planning documents (four legislation, and one policy) were evaluated to determine how wel...

In this era of rationalism, ‘good’ urban planning and management decisions are deemed to be those that are able to identify a tangible balance of environmental benefits (i.e., safeguarding environmental resources such as nature reserves and open spaces, and health) and socio-economic development, with little or no negative implications for urban su...

Our reflections on recent treatment of African urbanisation begins with the assertion that implicit recognition and acceptance of “rapid urbanisation” as a legitimate and primary cause of urban management challenges—e.g. poverty, slum development, haphazard development, etc.—has impoverished the appreciation of other fundamental causes of poor urba...

The disparity between peri-urban areas and larger urban centres and cities in Ghana require that there should be an effective accessibility both in each area and between the distinct zones. This study interrogates the challenges that confront the demand and supply of transport infrastructure and services in the peripheries of Sunyani. The data for...

Pedestrian fatalities constitute 42% of road traffic fatalities in Ghana, and 68% of the total pedestrian fatalities are related to pedestrian crossing facilities and behaviour. This study examines the state of pedestrian crossing facilities (crosswalks) and behaviour on urban roads in Ghana, and its consequences on pedestrian safety, using New Jua...

This paper assesses the determinants of households’ residential location decision in the Adenta Municipality. Using a total sample of 194 respondents selected from the 18 communities in the Municipality, a multi-stage sampling procedure and google-earth images; the paper concludes that neighbourhood welfare, accessibility attributes, comfort levels...

In many African countries, spatial inequalities in the provision and distribution of social services can be explained by a myriad of factors including the development approaches adopted in their colonial history. This paper explores the spatial inequality among cities in Northern and Southern Ghana as evident in the availability of infrastructural...

The objective of the study was to establish the major factors influencing demand as well as develop a demand model for urban passenger transport services in Kumasi, Ghana. Data for this study were obtained from 400 commuters grouped into strata with definite characteristics such as income levels and trip making characteristics using the framework d...

Sustainable transportation is of great importance in today’s world, because of concerns regarding the environmental, economic, and social equity impacts of transportation systems. Even though the negative effects of urban transportation have become particularly apparent in metropolitan areas of developed countries, rapid urbanization and motorizati...

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...

The urban transport sector in most developing nations accounts for 50 to 70 percent of Gross National Product hence plays an important role in the development of the urban economy of most cities including Kumasi in Ghana. However, the pricing of urban transport services, especially in developing countries has been riddled with numerous challenges t...