Accessibility Matters, but for Inner Suburbs Too: Unpacking the Impact of Accessibility Levels on Land Value and Transportation Management in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area, Ghana

Even though information and communication technology provide an important role in hotel service and aid service efficacy in customer satisfaction, little literature exists on it in the study area. The study assessed managers’ perception of innovative utilization of ICT in star-rated hotels in the Kumasi metropolitan area. Emphasis was laid on the relevance and reasons for the innovative use of ICT in hotels. A qualitative approach was adopted for the study and 50 hotel managers were sampled. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data solicited. Results of the study established that managers were of the view that the innovative use of ICT in hotel service was relevant and reasons for which the hotels have innovatively used ICT in their service delivery were achieved. However, the innovative use of ICT in hotels may create problems such as high cost of initial investment, cost of training employees and poor employer-employee relations. The study discovered that the hotels have made good use of ICT innovatively to sustain their business. The study unearthed that hotels must be abreast with ICT use as it has become a tool for attracting guests to hotels.

Micaceous soils derived from granites, granitic gneisses and phyllites within the Kumasi Metropolitan Area have been used in road construction. The mica flakes are normally silt—and sand-sized but sizes greater than these are not uncommon.

The process of urbanization holds great promise for economic and social progress of a nation. On the other hand this process is confronted with a lot of challenges. One such challenge is the increasing vulnerability to quality water supply among households in low income urban communities. In Ghana, urban households do not have water flowing regularly through their taps from the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and therefore have to supplement their limited supply with water from sources such as Streams/Rivers and Wells. Indeed, whereas the quantity of available water is decreasing, the quality is also compromised mainly due to high population growth accompanied by low investments by the state. This research examines the extent of water supply vulnerability among households at Aboabo, a low income community in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area. Using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, the research revealed that water from source other than GWCL was highly polluted. This is evidenced from the higher counts of faecal coliforms and E. coli in the water bodies. Again, the research showed higher concentrations of physicochemical properties which were above the WHO standard for safe drinking water. The concentrations of microbiological and physiochemical properties in the water sources had implications on human health as most of the diseases reported were water related. The paper argues that Kumasi is well endowed with water resources, but the amount of water available for distribution within the city is far from uniform with the low income communities seriously underserved. The paper concludes that if this situation is not addressed with specific policy interventions, the consequence could be disastrous.

Social capital may play a critical role in assisting individuals in leveraging their social networks and group relationships to attain their desired outcomes. We evaluated the influence of social capital on the success of startup enterprises in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area (KMA), utilizing 13 Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA) clients as participants in this study. The study used interview data and institutional documents, which were conducted using a qualitative technique. Thematic analysis was used in conjunction with content analysis, and the study revealed three distinct forms of social capital—structural, relational, and cognitive that contributed significantly to the business growth of the agency's clients who used its services and supported their businesses through social networks. The study also found that “groups and networks,” “shared norms, beliefs, and duties,” “trust,” and “connectivity” are important elements influencing the KMA's business sustainability. According to the study, the structural, relational, and cognitive elements of social capital are vital in forming group cohesiveness and social relationships, which are critical in supporting the growth of new enterprises in Ghana, particularly in the KMA. The study recommends that efforts to build the resilience of social capital in start-up businesses and create an enabling social network system would support local-level business sustainability. The conclusion drawn from the findings implies that social capital has the potential to foster group cohesion and beneficial social ties to enhance business growth.

On the effect of fiscal zoning on land and housing values

Water needs and women's health in the Kumasi metropolitan area, Ghana

PurposeThis study conducts a systematic literature review on the determination of urban land value to offer a comprehensive understanding of the methods, datasets, themes and factors of land value. The study aims to identify research gaps and suggest directions for future research in urban land value.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts the systematic literature review (SLR) approach to synthesize the literature on urban land value. The SLR is structured according to a three-stage protocol, involving planning, conducting and reporting to ensure transparency and reproducibility. Quantitative bibliometric analysis and qualitative hierarchical thematic analysis are used to assess the evolution of research and to identify key themes and factors.FindingsThe study reveals an unbalanced research focus on developed economies and residential land in urban land value literature. A hierarchical framework categorizes 644 factors into 25 subthemes and 8 themes across physical dimensions (e.g. land attributes and structure attributes) and market dimensions (e.g. land market and macroeconomic conditions). Two primary estimation methods – regression and residual – are identified, each suitable based on data availability. The literature’s evolution is driven by advances in empirical methods. An extensive catalog of databases is compiled, and a corresponding menu of methods is discussed with a focus on empirical identification strategies.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited by the focus on urban land value and the exclusion of agricultural, recreational and transportation land. Future research should expand to other land types and integrate new data sources and advanced methodologies such as machine learning to enhance empirical robustness.Practical implicationsThe systematic review provides a foundation for practical applications and policy discussions on land value estimation and taxation. It offers a useful catalog of land value databases and a menu of land evaluation methods. They are useful for real estate businesses to perform accurate land evaluations and investment appraisals. They can also assist governments in determining precise land value for tax assessments and public policy formulation.Originality/valueThis paper is among the first to apply the SLR approach to urban land value – the price of an essential asset owned by households, businesses and governments. A key contribution is the identification of two distinct evolution patterns of literature: a “pine tree” pattern, showing linear, accumulative growth using homogeneous methodologies (e.g. regression methods) and a “palm tree” pattern, where diverse methods (e.g. residual methods) form independent branches. This analysis provides a new perspective on how methodological homogeneity influences the structure of research themes, offering insights into the dynamics of knowledge development in the field and in general.

The development of integrated transport supply and demand management (TS-DM) strategies is crucial for ensuring sustainable urban development. Any TS-DM strategy will not only affect the transport system performance, but also result in changes of the land use pattern. Moreover, implementing TS-DM strategies normally involves a progressively phased long-term schedule; one must take into account the total accruing costs and effects over time so as to optimize the system performance. This paper develops a mathematic optimization program with equilibrium constraints (MPEC) to study the impact of TS-DM strategies on transport system performance and activity location costs expressed as land value. Specifically, a bid-rent mechanism via the random utility approach is developed to model residential location choices. Finally, a numerical example is provided to compare among different strategies. Through this study, we hope to introduce promising planning perspectives to create win-win scenarios for both users and transport system managers.

A key characteristic of urban form in the global North, especially in Northern America and Australia, is urban sprawl. Global South cities have been expanding rapidly since the 1990s and feature urban sprawl. Some defining characteristics of urban sprawl are low density development, widely separate land uses, and high dependency on automobiles with limited multi-modal accessibility. In this paper, we present the causes and effects of urban sprawl in Ghana, policies adopted by Ghanaian cities to manage urban sprawl, and how these strategies could be improved. We find that local governments in Ghanaian cities, especially Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and Graeter Kumasi Metropolitan Area, have not implemented any real, effective strategies to curb urban sprawl; instead, they have focused their efforts on providing essential infrastructure services. The only measure that many Ghanaian local governments have implemented is the reduction of the minimum permissible lot size for houses. Based on a systematic review of existing studies to identify the causes and effects of urban sprawl, and of best practices used by cities to combat it, we suggest a few practical measures employed in other countries be used in the Ghanian context.

Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) contribute immensely to job creation, income generation and poverty reduction in emerging economies like that of Ghana. These positive contributions notwithstanding, most MSMEs in these economies have been performing poorly. This study therefore seeks to identify and analyze the challenges faced by MSMEs and proposed by appropriate measures that will enhance and sustain the vibrancy of MSMEs in order for them to perform their expected roles in the economic development process of Ghana. To be able to delve into the challenges of MSMEs in Ghana, a conceptual and theoretical framework is designed to guide the preparation of data collection instruments to suit the study. This involves a combination of survey and case study methods of data collection and analysis. The present study reveals that MSMEs are dominated by youth and female operators usually with low level of education. A further revelation is that majority of MSMEs lack qualified personnel; have poor access to credit and are usually self-financed. Based on the above, the study recommends the establishment of a common board to oversee the activities of support institutions for MSMEs. The study again proposes for the creation of MSMEs fund at all district, municipal and metropolitan areas to support MSMEs activities. Furthermore, the study is proposed for Bank of Ghana to create MSMEs bank to provide funds specifically for MSMEs development. Finally, effective implementation of the recommendation can lead to growth of MSME’s sector in Kumasi metropolis and eventually results in creation of employment as well as poverty reduction.

Exploring the value of cultivated land resources around big cities is an important prerequisite for when realizing the “trinity” of cultivated land protection in terms of quantity, quality, and ecology. At present, the value of cultivated land resources faces the problem of having a low comparative efficiency of economic output, inadequate visualisation of asset value, and serious undervaluation. The manifestation of social, ecological, and cultural values in cultivated land plays an important role in accurately calculating the value of cultivated land. Therefore, this study attempted to clarify the composition and account for the logic of the comprehensive value of cultivated land around big cities. Taking the Hefei metropolitan area as an example, we used mathematical modeling and geostatistical analysis to measure the integrated value of cultivated land around big cities from 2010 to 2020 and analyse the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics and influencing factors. The results revealed a 2:7:1 ratio of economic, social, ecological, and cultural values for cultivated land in the metropolitan area. The comprehensive value of cultivated land was higher in 2020 than in 2010, was approximately 7.7 times the current compensation standard, and was significantly affected by the natural geography, economic development, cultivated land conditions, and protection policies. Furthermore, the comprehensive value showed spatial differentiation characteristics of ‘high in the east and south and low in the west and north’, and a spatial agglomeration effect was evident in some areas. A significant increase was observed in the social value of cultivated land, followed by an increase in the ecological and cultural values, whereas a slow downward trend was observed for the economic value. The economic value of cultivated land around big cities showed a downward trend, whereas the social, ecological, and cultural values showed upward trends. In the future, differentiated policy tools should be adopted based on the spatial heterogeneity of the comprehensive value of cultivated land in the Hefei metropolitan area to enhance their comprehensive value. In addition, scientific and reasonable compensation standards should be established, and high-quality agricultural development with the high-level protection of cultivated land should be promoted in metropolitan areas.

Knowledge and skill acquisition is a driver to the socioeconomic growth of a country, yet economic challenges, rapid urbanization, and migration have contributed to youth unemployment in Ghana. The introduction of auto-rickshaws in 2015 has increased access coverage to transportation, augmented existing public transportation, and created avenues for both operators’ and mechanics’ employment through co-ordinated skill development actions to empower youth-in-entrepreneurship. However, these have not been fully utilized and developed by the Government. The study seeks to identify basic needs of auto-rickshaw mechanics in establishing a sustainable repair and maintenance enterprise, identify challenges confronting auto-rickshaw mechanics, and analyze activities of the youth who repair, maintain, and service auto-rickshaws within the formal and informal sectors for sustainable enterprises. The study is underpinned by both resource-based and human capital theories: education and apprenticeship bothers on human capital theory, while entrepreneurial experience, shop space, business duration, and so on projects the resource-based theory. Questionnaires were administered to 237 auto-rickshaw mechanics and interviews were conducted for some selected auto-rickshaw mechanics to investigate challenges in the business in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area through a clustered and systematic sampling technique. Data analyzed using SPSS v.26 indicated a very youthful auto-rickshaw mechanic population with low educational level that operates without licensed garages. About 68.8% of the mechanics possessed some form of apprenticeship training, though they are not specific to auto-rickshaw repair and maintenance. Further, 71.7% auto-rickshaw mechanics do not keep records of their activities and there is a general lack of entrepreneurial skills among them. Lack of financial support from financial institutions was found to be a major challenge. The binary logistic regression model retained and confirmed six out of the seven predictors, including sex, age, education, marital status, duration of repairs and/or maintenance, shop space, tools and equipment, and mechanical training, as significant contributing factors to entrepreneurship training offered to enterprises within the Kumasi metropolis. The study recommends the urgent need to upgrade the technical and entrepreneurial skills of auto-rickshaw mechanics through the establishment of targeted and result-oriented training centers for better efficiency. The authors further recommend financial institutions to consider giving financial support to auto-rickshaw mechanics to help sustain their businesses.

Land use and land cover changes implications on biodiversity in the Owabi catchment of Atwima Nwabiagya North District, Ghana

The interplay of medical, social, cultural and religious factors has led to stigma and marginalization of people with disabilities (PWDs) in the Ghanaian context. Observable church beliefs and practices render the relations between so-called abled-bodied people and people with disabilities (PWDs) as an ‘us and them’ relationship. Ironically, the church is supposed to be a place of welcome, restoration and integration. However, with its emphasis on ‘healing before integration,’ the church space has become a place of exclusion for many PWDs. The study argues that the various ways of modelling disability, and the contemporary Ghanaian Christian response to disability are inadequate and lead to the exclusion of PWDs. The study being a qualitative one used both primary and secondary sources. Observations were made at traditional healing centres and healing and revival church services of some churches in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area (KMA) where PWDs were present. Also, journal articles, books, unpublished dissertations, and church documents on the subject matter were consulted. The study points to the fact that a disability-friendly theology must be constructed in order to guide the church to be disability inclusive and hence engender full participation of PWDs in the various ministries of the church in Ghana. The study recommends ways of constructing a disability-inclusive theology in view of the intersection between Akan traditional religion and contemporary Christian response to disability. This article seeks to contribute to the debate on disability inclusivity in the contemporary Ghanaian church, focusing on its importance in promoting comprehensive healing and inclusion for PWDs. Keywords: PWDs (Persons With Disability), Pentecostalism/neo-Pentecostalism, Exclusivity, Inclusivity, Theology of Disabilty.

Local multilevel governance arrangements for climate change planning and management in Kumasi, Ghana