Greener Cities, Stronger Futures: Ghana’s Blueprint for Sustainable Urban Growth

Ghana’s urban future is at a pivotal point, and a bold new strategy, A Sustainable Cities Strategy for Ghana, has emerged to guide the country toward greener, more inclusive, and resilient urban development. Developed through collaboration between the Government of Ghana, the World Bank, and research institutes such as the Ghana Statistical Service, Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA), and several academic institutions, this strategy represents a comprehensive and locally grounded response to decades of urban transformation. Drawing from the 2021 Population and Housing Census, satellite data, land-use analytics, and urban economic assessments, the strategy offers not just diagnosis but actionable direction. With Ghana’s urban population now exceeding 17.5 million, quadrupled since 1990 and making up 57% of the population, the pressure on infrastructure, services, and governance has reached critical mass.

The Sprawl Behind the Growth

While urbanization in Ghana has contributed to rising GDP, poverty reduction, and improved living standards, it has also exposed a glaring mismatch between demographic shifts and urban planning. Cities like Accra and Kumasi still dominate, but smaller urban hubs, Tamale, Sunyani, Techiman, and Wa, are expanding rapidly, often without proper infrastructure or planning frameworks. Informal settlements are proliferating, with an estimated 8.8 million Ghanaians now living in slums. Unplanned expansion has eaten into peri-urban agricultural lands, and speculative development is overtaking ecologically sensitive zones. Built-up areas are growing at an average of 3.2% annually, and some districts have experienced over 10% yearly growth. Yet, population densities remain low, around 2,900 people per square kilometer, suggesting inefficient land use that increases the cost of service delivery and weakens agglomeration economies.

Climate Risks and Inequality Collide in the Cities

Environmental challenges are compounding the situation. Ghana’s cities, though not yet heavy emitters by global standards, are trending toward a high-carbon growth model. The transport and solid waste sectors are primary contributors, and if left unchecked, urban emissions could quadruple by 2050. Pollution is already exacting a heavy toll: the economic cost of air pollution in 2017 was estimated at US$2.5 billion, about 4.2% of GDP. Poor waste disposal, including open burning by nearly a quarter of urban households, is degrading air quality and contributing to flooding. These issues disproportionately affect the poor, who often live in flood-prone informal areas with limited access to sanitation and water. Meanwhile, stark inequalities in land and housing persist. Only 4% of women own their homes, and just 12% own land, highlighting deep gender imbalances rooted in cultural and economic exclusion.

Where to Act: Cities, Sectors, and Financing

The strategy identifies clear points of leverage. It recommends prioritizing seven fast-growing but vulnerable cities, Bolgatanga, Denu, Ho, Sunyani, Tamale, Techiman, and Wa, for targeted interventions before unsustainable trends are cemented. It also singles out four sectors for immediate investment: solid waste management, urban mobility, affordable housing, and land management. These sectors not only offer high impact in terms of livability and emissions reduction but also align with Ghana’s climate and resilience goals. The report advocates for compact, transit-oriented urban design, increased access to public transport, and incentives for private developers to build green, affordable housing. Effective solid waste systems, emphasizing recycling and composting, are also deemed essential.

Yet addressing the urban infrastructure gap, estimated at US$37.2 billion annually, will require more than prioritization. With public capital expenditures representing less than 2% of GDP and donor funding in decline, domestic resource mobilization is urgent. The strategy calls for reforming municipal finances by modernizing property tax systems and adopting land value capture tools, long underused due to weak land registries and administrative capacity. It also urges expanded use of public-private partnerships (PPPs), particularly in urban transport and waste services. Although Ghana has 21 PPP projects in the pipeline, most focus on large-scale infrastructure like rail. Basic services such as water and sanitation remain underrepresented, despite being essential to sustainability and social equity.

Better Governance, Smarter Planning, and Collective Vision

None of these goals will be achieved without better governance. Metropolitan coordination remains weak, especially as cities now sprawl across multiple administrative districts. Cities like Tamale and Koforidua span five or more districts, creating complex jurisdictional overlaps. While existing laws, such as the Local Governance Act and the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, provide a legal basis for collaboration, enforcement, and interjurisdictional planning are rare. The strategy advocates for new incentives and possibly institutional reforms to foster cooperation. Digital transformation also features prominently. With increasing smartphone penetration and digital platforms like Ghana.gov.gh, the groundwork is in place for smart city solutions. But infrastructure gaps, especially in northern regions, and persistent gender and ability-based digital divides must be bridged to ensure equitable digital access and governance.

The Sustainable Cities Strategy underscores that Ghana’s urban trajectory can still be steered in the right direction, but action must be swift and coordinated. With its cities poised to become engines of innovation and opportunity, Ghana has a unique chance to chart a sustainable urban future. But failure to act now could mean missed opportunities, deepening inequality, and growing exposure to climate and environmental risks. The time for bold, targeted investment and governance reform is now, before today’s urban boom becomes tomorrow’s development crisis.