- Landscapes for Neighbourhood and Community Revival for Urban sub-Saharan Africa -The Case of Ghana    click here to open paper content349 kb
by    Marful, Alexander Boakye | amarful@yahoo.com   click here to send an email to the auther(s) of this paper
Short Outline
This is a research for an NGO to explore how landscape planning and
development could be used as a tool to revive seemingly collapsing
communities in urban tropical sub-Saharan Africa; in this case Ghana.
Abstract
In order for communities and neighbourhoods in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to
survive the effects of the rapid and unprecedented urbanisation amidst
impoverished physical and social infrastructure, there ought to be a
revival of the socio-cultural milieu through several interventions
including self-help initiatives and planning. A proactive approach is
through the upgrading and enhancement of the landscapes within the
communities to serve as a node for social revival and interaction.
Landscape planning and development does not only refer to the issue of
environment and ecology but also the mood of the entire community and
neighbourhood as well as its sense of identity and cultural bearings. It
also emanates from, according to Kongjian Yu, survival skills of our
ancestors who had to endure a changeable environment, ensuring a safe place
away from floods and enemies whilst surviving by levelling the land,
planting and irrigating crops as well as preserving water and other
resources for the sustenance of the family and community. This paper is a
product of on-going research by CLEAN-AFRICA e.V. (anon-profit organisation
based in Germany) and tries to provide some explanation and strategies with
the case of some three marginalised urban communities in Ghana, how
critical elements of sustainability could be incorporated in a rapid urban
development when urban design is omitted from the development process. It
uses exploratory method to identify and demonstrate how landscape
development for kids on dilapidated open spaces within these communities
could be used to revive and promote the spirit of self-help and foster
parenting skills to reduce child delinquency. It would also finally
stipulates how landscape planners could integrate profound natural and
cultural context analysis as a basis of identity protection of indigenous
communities in the post oil economy of marginalised urban areas in Ghana.
Keywords
Children, Neighbourhood, Marginalised, Communities, Landscapes
click here to open paper content  Click to open the full paper as pdf document
click here to send an email to the auther(s) of this paper  Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper