Urban Sustainability Transitions in the Global South: a Case Study of Curitiba and Accra

Abstract

The existing literature is replete with examples of how sustainable urbanism unfolds in cities in the developed world. However, there is limited insight into how this concept is exemplified in the developing world. This paper poses the question, what strategies are appropriate for transitioning developing world cities towards greater sustainability. Drawing on insights from Curitiba and Accra, we argue that cities should not simply reproduce technical sustainability solutions successfully introduced elsewhere, but they should leverage indigenous potential to chart a sustainability path that is sensitive to conditions in the local context.