Redefining urban liveability through community voices

Insights from Kumasi’s informal settlements

Bibliographic Data

ID8133182
AuthorsDesmond Gagakuma (0000-0001-5801-1499, RMIT Europe, corresponding author), Glenda Mejía (0000-0003-2913-3854, RMIT Europe), Reina Ichii (0000-0003-0082-0546, RMIT Europe), José Roberto Guevara (0000-0003-2363-5087, RMIT Europe)
Year2026
Volume30
Issue1-2
Pages1-22
Publication date2026-03-13
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCity (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1360-4813 • E-ISSN: 1470-3629
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13604813.2026.2634527
OpenAlexW7135215057
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited43

This paper argues that ‘urban liveability’ is not a neutral metric but a powerful political discourse that is mobilised to advance specific urban visions while actively marginalising informal settlements. Challenging the hegemony of Western-centric frameworks that dominate urban policy, this study uses participatory methods to build a theory of liveability from the ground up, based on the lived experiences of residents in two of Kumasi, Ghana’s informal settlements—Aboabo and Suame Magazine. Our analysis reveals six interrelated dimensions that define liveability as a political claim, centred on the struggles for: essential infrastructure, economic opportunity, healthcare, environmental safety, community resilience, and housing security. These findings demonstrate that residents’ definitions of a liveable city are forged in response to systemic neglect and are rooted in collective survival rather than individualistic consumption. By foregrounding these subaltern perspectives, this research does more than fill a geographical gap; it unsettles urban theory by reframing liveability as a site of political contestation over the right to the city. The study provides a robust, critically grounded framework for scholars and advocates seeking to challenge dominant urban paradigms and centre grassroots knowledge in the pursuit of more just and equitable urban futures.

Human settlement · Informal settlements · Sustainable community · Urban planning · Urbanization · Local Economic Development and Planning · Urban and Rural Development Challenges · Urban Planning and Governance

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