Classifying and Mapping Periurban Areas of Rapidly Growing Medium-Sized Sub-Saharan African Cities: A Multi-Method Approach Applied to Tamale, Ghana

Hanna Karg, Rafael Hologa, Johannes Schlesinger, Axel Drescher, Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic and Rüdiger Glaser
Additional contact information
Hanna Karg: Physical Geography, University of Freiburg, Schreiberstraße 20, 79085 Freiburg, Germany
Rafael Hologa: Physical Geography, University of Freiburg, Schreiberstraße 20, 79085 Freiburg, Germany
Johannes Schlesinger: svGeosolutions GmbH, Lise-Meitner-Str. 2, 79100 Freiburg, Germany
Axel Drescher: Institute of Geography, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Wetterkreuz 15, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic: Directorate of International Relationships and Advancement (DIRA), University for Development Studies, Post Office Box TL 1350, Tamale, Ghana
Rüdiger Glaser: Physical Geography, University of Freiburg, Schreiberstraße 20, 79085 Freiburg, Germany

Land, 2019, vol. 8, issue 3, 1-22

Abstract: Periurban areas of growing cities in developing countries have been conceptualised as highly dynamic landscapes characterised by a mixture of socioeconomic structures, land uses and functions. While the body of conceptual literature on periurban areas has significantly increased over the past two decades, methods for operationalising these multi-dimensional concepts are rather limited. Yet, information about the location and areal extent of periurban areas is needed for integrated planning in the urban–rural interface. This article presents the results of a study aiming at classifying and mapping periurban areas along the urban–rural gradient of Tamale, a medium-sized city in Ghana. The study used a quantitative, multi-dimensional methodology involving the following as core elements: (1) a relative measure of how urban a place and its people are in terms of services, infrastructure and livelihoods (urbanicity index); (2) the diversity of households regarding their livelihoods and access to urban services; and (3) land use dynamics. Therefore, data from a household survey, as well as land use and other secondary geospatial data were collected and analysed at different spatial scales. The findings suggested that the periurban space consists of two main zones. Inner periurban areas are driven by urban expansion and the conversion of non-urban into urban land use is most visible here. These areas exhibit higher levels of socioeconomic diversity, compared to both rural and urban areas. Outer periurban areas are less dynamic in terms of land use change and exhibit lower building densities, and compared with rural areas, hold stronger links to the city related to the movement of people and goods. The spatial analysis revealed that periurban areas develop mainly along major transport corridors across administrative divisions, as well as in the form of periurban islands in the rural zone. This study set out to extend existing methodologies to map urban and periurban development in medium-sized cities in sub-Saharan Africa, useful for urban and regional planning beyond administrative boundaries.

Keywords: urban growth; fringe development; urban-rural linkages; city region; spatial analysis; GIS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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