TY - JOUR
T1 - Policy-reality gaps in Africa’s walking cities
T2 - Contextualizing institutional perspectives and residents’ lived experiences in Accra
AU - Okyere, Seth Asare
AU - Frimpong, Louis Kusi
AU - Oviedo, Daniel
AU - Mensah, Stephen Leonard
AU - Fianoo, Isaac Nevis
AU - Nieto-Combariza, Maria José
AU - Abunyewah, Matthew
AU - Adkins, Arlie
AU - Kita, Michihiro
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Urban Affairs Association.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - This paper confronts the current policy landscape and lived experiences of walking in African cities through the lens of policies, plans, institutional, and residents’ narratives. The paper builds on qualitative evidence drawn from content analysis and semi-structured interviews with local-level stakeholders across policy sectors concerned directly or indirectly with walking and walkability in the city. Perspectives from local government institutions are first reviewed to ascertain considerations for accessibility, safety, and pleasurability dimensions of walking and, second, contrasted with the lived walking experiences of residents of low-income settlements in Accra. Results indicate limited attention to pleasurability dimensions in both policy and municipal plans and significant incongruities with residents’ lived realities of walking. This parallel between the frameworks and plans underpinning the construction of the walking environment and the lived experiences of those affected by such decisions seeks to nuance debates about policy-reality (dis)junctures in African urbanism.
AB - This paper confronts the current policy landscape and lived experiences of walking in African cities through the lens of policies, plans, institutional, and residents’ narratives. The paper builds on qualitative evidence drawn from content analysis and semi-structured interviews with local-level stakeholders across policy sectors concerned directly or indirectly with walking and walkability in the city. Perspectives from local government institutions are first reviewed to ascertain considerations for accessibility, safety, and pleasurability dimensions of walking and, second, contrasted with the lived walking experiences of residents of low-income settlements in Accra. Results indicate limited attention to pleasurability dimensions in both policy and municipal plans and significant incongruities with residents’ lived realities of walking. This parallel between the frameworks and plans underpinning the construction of the walking environment and the lived experiences of those affected by such decisions seeks to nuance debates about policy-reality (dis)junctures in African urbanism.
KW - Accra
KW - Walking
KW - lived experiences
KW - transport policy
KW - walkability
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U2 - 10.1080/07352166.2023.2296105
DO - 10.1080/07352166.2023.2296105
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85181495656
SN - 0735-2166
JO - Journal of Urban Affairs
JF - Journal of Urban Affairs
ER -