The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), in collaboration with the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), has organized the second
training on Integrated Urban Governance and Spatial Planning for the Metropolitan Planning and Coordinating Unit and Spatial Planning Committee Members
of the Assembly. The customized training programme was intended to help participants identify local challenges confronting the Metropolis analyze, reflect
and propose innovative strategies to address these challenges in making Sekondi-Takoradi metropolitan area a liveable city.
The training was also aimed at deepening the understanding of the metropolitan governance system and exposing participants to the emerging roles expected of them.
Ultimately, the intervention would enhance the competencies of participants to enable them to perform their envisaged roles and responsibilities effectively
and partner with other stakeholders of the Assembly. The training focused on addressing strategies such as Strategic Planning and Governance, Public-Private
Partnership, Municipal Financing and Innovative Revenue Mobilization, Disaster Risk Management, Waste Management, Gender Perspective and Co-creation of
Monitoring and Evaluation of development plans.
The participants, at the end of the training, were equipped with the skills to reverse the negative trend of urban sprawl and guide the city to move from ad hoc
and piecemeal urban planning to a participatory bottom-up sustainable urbanization model. This will involve assessing the needs of the people to help develop and
implement sustainable approaches that link local policies and bye-laws, public-private partnership, urban planning and design and municipal finance; with
gender-sensitive and inclusive development, provision of quality municipal services and accountable governance at the centre of a new strategy to address the
scale or rate of change of recent and current urban conditions.
In Ghana, rapid urbanization has become a major strain on public infrastructure and services such as water and waste management systems, transport, energy and
security. Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis is one of the fast-growing urban areas in Ghana. The geographical location, culture and economic activities in the Metropolis
make it very attractive and susceptible to the challenges of urbanization.
The rapid increase in the population and urban sprawl over the last two decades have created many challenges for the city including infrastructure deficit,
overstretched waste management services, growing urban poverty and perennial flooding.
The four-day residential training programme was therefore organized under the auspices of the European Union (EU) founded Twin-Cities in Sustainable Partnership Project (TCSPP)
to enhance the capacity of city officials and other stakeholders in inclusive urban governance strategies and managing urban space judiciously. The first training was organized
in September last year to introduce the participants to co-creation processes to address the problems from rapid urbanization, climate change and social exclusion.
The Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) facilitated both training programmes.