An urban twist to politics in Ghana

This paper questions the preparedness of Ghanaian politicians for the 2010 urban ‘explosion’ in Ghana. It reveals that urban policy in Ghana is overly focussed on curbing the symptoms of urban problems while leaving the structural causes of the problems intact. Physical beautification of cities and ‘bright light’ ideas have taken precedence over policies that address the political economy of land, poverty and inequality. Although Ghana has a reputation for relatively good governance, this evidence on the limits to urban policies suggests that there are severe limits to the effectiveness of urban policies as a means of meeting social needs and redressing urban inequalities.