Urban green space planning in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana: a prioritization conundrum and its co-benefits solution

Abstract

Urban green spaces (UGS) are often promoted as a pathway to achieving urban sustainability. In relation to climate change impacts, they offer both mitigating and adaptive pathways for cities. Yet, increasing UGS is set against other development needs that confront cities of the Global South. This can result in a prioritization conundrum in urban planning processes. Using data from a questionnaire administered to 400 residents of the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana, this paper examines residents’ awareness and priorities of UGS for conflicting rationalities and explains how this can engender a prioritization conundrum. The study finds conflicts in residents’ rationalities of UGS, manifesting as residents’ low prioritization of UGS despite their experiences of climate change impacts and awareness of UGS benefits including its role in tackling climate change impacts. Here, the prioritization conundrum concerns how to account for residents’ awareness and priorities in urban planning and plan for goals that residents do not consider a priority. Such a conundrum can derail efforts to use UGS to tackle climate change impacts. Hence, to navigate the prioritization conundrum, this paper emphasizes co-benefits to adduce two implications. First, effective mainstreaming of UGS co-benefits into urban planning is imperative, which can be achieved by harmonizing residents’ priorities with climate change goals during plan preparation for the Kumasi Metropolis and actively engaging residents in UGS planning. Secondly, traversing the prioritization conundrum is dependent on the capacity to effectively mainstream UGS co-benefits in urban planning—without which planning for UGS to tackle climate change impacts can be hindered.

Publication Title

Socio-Ecological Practice Research

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