Kumasi trees – project of the hearts. Decolonial strategies for advancing urban greenery in a Sub-Saharan city

Saija H. Hollmén, Alexander B. Marful, Taru Niskanen, Daniel Y. A. Duah, Esmeranda Manful, Meeri Pitkänen and Irene A. Idun

International Planning Studies, 2025, vol. 30, issue 1-2, 256-271

Abstract: Rapid expansion in low- and middle-income countries often follows the destructive environmental paths set by wealthier colonial powers. The greatest obstacle is the prevailing mindset: a lack of environmental awareness and continued exploitation of natural and human resources. To achieve sustainable urban planning, it’s vital to avoid colonial practices, raise environmental awareness, and foster local appreciation of the environment as a cultural value. This paper explores decolonial approaches in architecture and urban planning to foster a balanced human-nature relationship and new tools for Sustainability Transition in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using the Kumasi Trees – Project of the Hearts as a case study, it shows efforts to re-greening Kumasi, Ghana, through local engagement and knowledge, rediscovering environmental values and cultural identities. The paper examines practices within Decolonial Thought (DT), questioning the universality of Eurocentric thinking, recognizing multiple value systems, and embracing alternative knowledge bases stemming from other cultures.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/13563475.2025.2461664 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:cipsxx:v:30:y:2025:i:1-2:p:256-271

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/cips20

DOI: 10.1080/13563475.2025.2461664

Access Statistics for this article

International Planning Studies is currently edited by Shin Lee, Scott Orford and Francesca Sartorio

More articles in International Planning Studies from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().