Territorial Coherence Through Urban Planning, Myth or Reality: Analysis of Planning Instruments in Ho (Ghana) and Kpalimé (Togo)

Tchakouni Sondou (), Coffi Cyprien Aholou and Jérôme Chenal
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Tchakouni Sondou: Regional Center of Excellence on Sustainable Cities in Africa (CERVIDA-DOUNEDON), Université de Lomé, Lomé 01 BP 1515, Togo
Coffi Cyprien Aholou: Regional Center of Excellence on Sustainable Cities in Africa (CERVIDA-DOUNEDON), Université de Lomé, Lomé 01 BP 1515, Togo
Jérôme Chenal: Communauté d’Etudes pour l’Aménagement du Territoire (CEAT), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-31

Abstract: Cities in West Africa have master and local plans to plan and guide land use and prevent urban sprawl. However, their spatial growth is not in line with the principles and indicators of harmonious development. To what extent has the spatial growth of these cities been shaped by urban development plans? This article assesses the ability of master and local plans to guide and frame urban development in Ho in Ghana and Kpalimé in Togo, using compliance and performance approaches. Combining interviews with municipal and traditional authorities, statutory land administration officials, and urban planners, this study finds that urban development in Ho has an average compliance rate of between 54% and 72%, compared to a rate of between 13% and 24% in Kpalimé. In terms of performance, Ho’s local plans outperform Kpalimé’s master plans. The master plans influence the plans below Ho, which is not the case in Kpalimé, where there is no link between the plans. The moderate performance of Ho and the poor performance of Kpalimé can be explained by several factors, such as the non-participatory approach to planning, the land tenure system, the lack of political support, and the lack of human and financial resources.

Keywords: planning instrument; urban planning; conformance; performance; plan implementation; urban master plan; local plan; Ho; Kpalimé (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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