Towards resilient cities in Ghana: Insights and strategies

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 functionality of Ghanaian cities. Using social science research methods including in-depth interviews with urban planners, and document reviews, findings indicate that despite global urgency towards urban resilience and some level of understanding amongst urban planning professionals, there is no consideration for resilience philosophy in urban planning practice in Ghana. The policy implications of these findings are further presented.