Abstract
In the 1980s African cities were described as being 'in crisis'
following unprecedented urbanisation of poverty, increasing failure
of governments to provide infrastructure services, the virtual collapse
of local institutions, persistent public sector mismanagement, etc.
Following the implementation of neo-liberalism, the public sector
disengaged its domination over service provision and instead implemented
multiple modalities that made use of capital, expertise and time
of government departments, private enterprises and CBOs. This new
approach to delivering public services moved ideas from government
to governance where urban government was expected to enable rather
than control, to facilitate rather then interfere. Using data from
three cities in Ghana (Accra, Kumasi and Tema), this paper demonstrates
that as multiple modalities emerge, their management requires a
strong regulatory and institutional capacity able to steer the process.
This is where a new form of urban crisis emerges in African cities.
|
