Author(s)

Devine Hedidor¹, Francis Kwesi Bondinuba², Mohammed Abdulai Sadique³

¹Oboadaka Local Authority Junior High School, Akuapim South District, Nsawan, Ghana.
²Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Environment and Real Estate, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
³Department of Building Technology, School of Engineering, Tamale Polytechnic, Tamale, Ghana.

This paper explored the antecedents and the role of local artisans in Spatial Planning (SP) activities in Ghana. The paper was based on the results of an inspection of 5896 already built houses at Mepe in the Volta Region of Ghana. A mixed method research approach was used to gather the data through snowball non-probability sampling technique. It enabled the researchers to identify 100 local artisans. Survey questionnaires were used, which was followed by structured interviews with five (5) elders who lived in the town for over 65 years. The results showed that the early houses were built on community lands with mud and thatch clustered with narrow and unnamed alleys. Property owners heavily depended on local artisans for professional guidance, although some artisans were ill-trained and unaware of existing government SP regulations. The study was limited to artisans who practiced at the local community level. The findings showed that many local artisans were poorly trained, resulting in poor workmanship and non-compliance with local planning regulations. The paper recommends the integration of SP into the artisanal curricula at both local and national levels to improve their skills.

Artisans, Ghana, Spatial Planning, Sustainability, Urbanism, Construction Industry

Hedidor, D. , Bondinuba, F. and Sadique, M. (2016) Spatial Planning in Ghana: Antecedents and the Role of Local Artisans. Journal of Building Construction and Planning Research, 4, 201-218. doi: 10.4236/jbcpr.2016.43013.