Dagna Rams is a doctoral candidate at the Department of Social and Political Science at the University of Lausanne, researching urban management and the politics and economies at the heart of the slum communities/informal settlements of Old Fadama and Agbogbloshie (Ghana). On a research outing around one of Accra’s informal settlements, my friend Abdallah (a slum activist… Continue reading Money in a slum: the logic of small gains
Category: Urban (In)formality
Accra: Sensing the City Through Sound
In May, African Urbanism contributed to MIT’s Community Innovation Lab (CoLab Radio) “Listening to the City” series. The series includes sounds from cities such as a market in Mexico City, a struggling street market in Thessaloniki, Greece, and sounds of Los Angeles’ street economy. What do other cities sound like? Read descriptions of other cities included in the… Continue reading Accra: Sensing the City Through Sound
Re-imagining Accra’s “public spaces”
What if we let go of the limiting idea of our public spaces as “city parks” and began exploring the entire range of social spaces that already exist in the city? This is the first in a series of posts. Talented architects, designers and public space practitioners, green space enthusiasts, and everyday citizens dream of… Continue reading Re-imagining Accra’s “public spaces”
After the Kantamanto Market fire, an opportunity for participatory planning emerges
Two weeks ago, fire destroyed the immense Kantamanto Market, the huge open-air market linked to Makola in Old Accra, comprised of hundreds of stalls and kiosks where vendors traded secondhand and firsthand goods. The fire, which started in the early hours of Sunday morning, lasted several hours before the Fire Service managed to put out the… Continue reading After the Kantamanto Market fire, an opportunity for participatory planning emerges
A World Bank chief economist’s take on informality and employment in Africa
“Most Africans, the ones in rural areas as well as people in the urban areas, are in the informal sector. And there is a reason for that: they cannot afford to be unemployed. Most of the unemployed in Africa are people with secondary school degrees, who have finished secondary school or even university. They are… Continue reading A World Bank chief economist’s take on informality and employment in Africa
Traders and mayor differ on approach to build a modern Kantamanto after fire
“…the overall good that should come out of this is the need for us to take advantage of an unfortunate situation to bring about modernization,” said Accra City Mayor Alfred Vanderpuye, referring to the recent fire that destroyed the immense Kantamanto Market in the city center on Sunday morning. The market is a center for… Continue reading Traders and mayor differ on approach to build a modern Kantamanto after fire
Kantamanto Market: In Accra, a premier destination for secondhand trade
For more than 30 years now, the trading in Accra’s Kantamanto Market has contributed and linked in to the urban center’s economic productivity and vibrancy. Located near the Makola Market area, Kantamanto is its own market, separate and distinct from Makola. It’s home to more than 30,00 traders, who sell most commonly secondhand clothing, but… Continue reading Kantamanto Market: In Accra, a premier destination for secondhand trade