URBAN PLANNING CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT’S RESPONSE TO EMERGING ISSUES OF URBANIZATION IN THE WA AND LAWRA TOWNSHIPS OF UPPER WEST REGION

Abstract

The role of capacity development in urban planning is becoming more and more crucial due to the dramatic increase in urban population and allied urban problems. Strengthening planning agency capacity is fundamental to the design of public policies and programmme interventions for achieving sustainable urban development. This study therefore aimed at ascertaining urban planning capacity development responses to rapid urbanization in Wa Township and Lawra Township. Specifically it addresses how policy environment, organizational structure and training and development of urban planning institutions are responding to the increasing phenomenon of urbanization. The target group for the study was mainly the staff of planning agencies and institutions. The study gathered data through interview and observation. The findings of the study showed Land use planning is highly distorted due to weak legislative framework, poor institutional collaboration, irregular training of staff, and inadequate funding among others. The use of curative plans, public education and Google earth in the preparation of planning schemes were revealed as some of the strategies of urban planning response to rapid urbanization. The study also revealed that training for the staff was not regular hindering their ability to effectively deal with emerging issues of rapid urbanization. It finally concludes that weak and outdated legislative framework was the main bane of urban planning inability to response to the increasing phenomenon of urbanization. The study therefore recommends that the planning institutions should review the planning laws at the policy level, effort implementations of the laws and also embark on public education.