The evolving dynamics of land administration and its implications for physical planning in Sub-Saharan Africa: experiences from Wa, Ghana

Sustaining the urban commons in Ghana through decentralized planning

“…The dominance of traditional authorities over decentralized urban planning agencies, for instance, is caused by the commanding customary land ownership structure in urban Ghana, as customary authorities own about 80% of lands in Ghana [ 75 , 76 ]. Consequently, land allocations are mostly done by the traditional authorities with little or no consideration of planning procedures and methods [ 77 ]. This has rendered the ineffectiveness of decentralized urban planning as a prominent tool for urban development [ 78 ].…”

“…Land is an asset and the foundation of Ghana's resource base and serves as the main source of livelihood for people [ 91 ]. The intense demand for land commons has increased their values, making these resources to be leased for profit by chiefs or clan heads who are the allodial title holders [ 77 ]. As a result, the livelihoods of some Ghanaians who depend on land commons are affected [ 92 ].…”