Urban parks under siege: the politics and factors influencing park rezoning and decline in urban Ghana

Urban parks across Africa are reported to have significantly declined over the years; a notable cause being their rezoning to other uses. This notwithstanding, there is little empirical data on the factors that result in the rezoning of parks, which consequently lead to their decline. This study addresses this gap using 16 parks across 6 communities within the Kumasi Metropolis from a political ecology perspective. The results showed significant changes in lands zoned for parks mainly due to the politics of land ownership and administration as well as other social factors. Approximately 14 of the16 parks studied have either been rezoned to residential or commercial use or encroached upon by other uses. The rezoning of parks was gradual, unapproved, unplanned, and occurred at the ‘blind sight’ of local planning authorities. Existing land tenure arrangements and laxity in the enforcement of laws are some of the reported barriers affecting park development and management in the city. The study posits that the strong traditional land ownership arrangements and sociopolitical conflicts between the traditional and state authorities are critical for Kumasi's park development and management. The study concludes that enforcing legal frameworks, and institutionalizing parkland ownership can contribute significantly to the development, management, and protection of parks.