Urbanization in Ghana: Insights and implications for urban governance

Urbanization, in theory, should result in human advancement by stimulating socio-economic development. However, recent studies indicate that African urbanization tends to compound urban poverty, stall socio-economic development, and disrupt urban functionality. Unfortunately, African urbanization is expected to intensify in the foreseeable future with the continent expected to become home to about 1.3 billion of the global urban population by 2050.This current and expected increase in African urbanization has implications for urban governance, and how this phenomenon is managed will largely determine the future of urban Africa. This chapter examines the contours of African urbanization using Ghana as a case study. An analysis of past and recent urbanization patterns and causes in Ghana is presented. The chapter further explores urban governance implications associated with Ghana's urbanization and suggests policy reforms which may help address the growing depressing implications of urbanization in Ghana and Africa at large.