Policy Coherence for the Creation of Sustainable Communities Through Mixed Use Developments in Ghana: Implications for Sustainable Community Development

Abstract

This research investigated the extent of policy consistency in Ghana's national urban planning policy documents and development framework. It highlights the role of urban policies in enabling the implementation of sustainable communities. Adopting a qualitative content analysis method, the study analyses strategic alignment of seven policy documents using the PCD framework that focused on five drivers of sustainable communities, namely environmental conservation and resilience, social equity and inclusivity, economic prosperity and innovation, smart urban planning and design, and community engagement and participation. The Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework enabled the identification of alignment, fragmentation, and conflict across policy instruments and governance structures. The findings show some degree of policy coherence in promoting land use efficiency, minimising urban sprawl, fostering compact developments, and boosting local economic growth. However, significant gaps persist. These gaps include the absence of explicitly stated institutional mandates for the implementation of MUD, misalignment between urban and transportation policies, and social injustice and exclusion. Furthermore, the study divulges that the cross-referencing of policy documents is inadequate, resulting in disjointed implementation, fragmented development efforts and governance challenges. The study concludes that the inconsistencies in Ghana's national urban policies significantly impede the attainment of sustainable community development prospects.