The geography of urban poverty in Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract

The prevalence of urban poverty and its spatial manifestations have been thoroughly discussed in the academic literature. This paper contributes to that ongoing discussion, by unpacking that geographies of poverty in Kumasi, a rapidly growing African city. It analyses the spatial patterns and changing concentrations of poverty over the last five years. Using multiple methods, including document reviews, a survey of 379 respondents and agency interviews, the research shows a gradually expanding spatial enclaves of poverty in the city. The results involving aggregates ranking of income and cost of living, rankings of housing units, the presence of firms, access to social services and incidences of out-migration were mapped using ArcGIS 10.3 software. Administrative demarcations in the city often reflects spatial distribution of poverty, with increased concentration of wealthy residents in only one of the nine sub-metropolitan areas. The study found that educational attainment and socio-economic status were critical factors influencing the distribution of poverty. This calls for pro-poor interventions from the city authorities not only to address issues in housing, socio-economic infrastructure and employment opportunities but also to monitor spatial changes in the distribution and spatial concentrations of poverty to curtail socially segregated urban landscapes.