Urban Growth in Sekondi-Takoradi: A Call for Sustainable Land Use Planning

Abstract

A significant amount of vegetation and water were converted into built-up (Figure 1). The state of these water bodies and channels. Mostly, the conversion of other classes to built-up took place in the Western and South-Western parts of the metropolis (Figure 2). The western part of the metropolis borders the Ahanta West district and the operational sites of most oil companies in the Ahanta West district are also closer to the Western and South-western parts of the metropolis(Abdul-kareem et al., 2021). Therefore, these operational sites of oil companies serve as a pull factor for settlement and infrastructural development which is a reason for the higher conversion of other classes into built-up at the Western and compared to the 1990s signifies a high rate of encroachment and conversion into built-up which will deprive the metropolis of enjoying the benefits associated with water conservation (Biney et al., 2024). the South-western parts of the metropolis. Moreover, the Takoradi airport, market circle, the Takoradi harbour, companies, and the central business district are in the South-western part of the metropolis. These infrastructural developments and places strongly drive population growth, resulting in an increased demand for land for residential, industrial, and commercial purposes. This substantial demand for housing has incentivized landowners, predominantly chiefs and family members, to sell off green spaces to capitalize on the lucrative housing market (Mensah et al., 2019).