Encroachment of Urban Pedestrian Infrastructure: A Case Study of Cattle Rearing Activities Along The Kanda Highway in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

Abstract: The use of urban pedestrian walkways for unintended uses such as cattle grazing is prevalent in some areas in Accra. This qualitative study, in the form of a case study, employed the tools of interview, personal observation and photographic evidence to determine how cattle on the Kanda Highway in Accra impacted the socio-economic, spatial, and environmental aspects of urban pedestrian walkway use. The research, drawing on secondary materials to provide the background to the case study, used purposive sampling to select respondents who interacted with cattle on the Kanda Highway. It found that cattle on the pedestrian walkways impeded pedestrian movement, constituted a threat to the safety of users of the road and walkways, contributed to environmental sanitation problems, and resulted in resident-herder conflicts. It revealed a weak state of urban planning and enforcement of urban regulations and plans, which has led to residents, pedestrians, cattle owners and herders negotiating access to and use of space in an informal way. It also found, however, that the resourcefulness and adaptability of residents and pedestrians was finding alternative coping strategies for the conditions on the Kanda Highway. The study identified missed opportunities in harnessing the potential of livestock keeping in urban areas through integration into agro-ecological systems and creative, 'outside the box' policy thinking. In the face of the socio-economic imperatives that create the conditions for such unintended uses, it recommended the short-term use of specific and enforceable zoning for grazing areas and watering points, as well as enhanced institutional coordination and collaboration, with dialogue among stakeholders and residents, and public education as a longer-term solution. It also emphasized the need for urban planning to be more inclusive of the realities of survival in the urban peripheries of Ghana and other African cities, and in line with the rightful use of the city by all users.