From the Garden City of West Africa to a landscape of urban crises

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines the mutation of Kumasi from the ‘Garden City’ of West Africa to a landscape of urban crises. Although it focuses on contemporary issues, it also instigates into the discourse, historical perspectives to reveal the factors responsible for the urban crises using data from multiple sources. The results show dual city governance structure resulting from the socio-political power relations between the traditional set-up and the State governance structure served as leitmotif for the urban crises. It is argued that Kumasi’s unique customary identity must be integrated into city management structures to respond to the realities of changing times.