Accra, 27 July 2016 – The concept plan for the Accra urban extension in Ningo-Prampram, developed by UN-Habitat’s Urban Planning and Design LAB, was approved by the Statutory Planning Authority of the Ningo-Prampram District Assembly (NiPDA).

This is a major step following an extensive stakeholder’s process carried out at the local, regional and national level and the resolution by the General Assembly of Ningo-Prampram to adopt the concept and vision as a key development agenda for the district. In addition, the General Assembly gave the approval to establish an implementing committee.

The urban extension addresses the issues of explosive unplanned urban sprawl in the Accra region, the need to accommodate flooding during peak rainfall, and the necessity to provide housing for all in Accra. To implement the plan, Ningo-Prampram, with the support of UN-Habitat is pioneering a new type of urban planning. Instead of drawing up a detailed blueprint, the team has proposed a framework for the growth of a naturally evolving city.

The main features of the design include an infrastructure plan that connects the main urban functions and green corridors to accommodate flooding. Developed in phases, the plan motivates developers and investors in Ningo-Prampram to create a flexible and resilient urban solution for the urbanization pressures in the greater Accra region. The national government aims to present the Ningo-Prampram extension plan as an outstanding example of sustainable urban planning in Africa at the Habitat III Conference in Quito.

Co-creation process

The concept for Ningo-Prampram was developed through a series of meetings and workshops with NiPDA, Ministries (including Departments and Agencies), UN-Habitat’s country team in Ghana, UN-Habitat’s Urban Planning and Design LAB and the Ghana Urban Lab. The Ningo-Prampram plans were well-received during the stakeholder’s forum for Sustainable Interconnected Urbanisation Planning at the Accra International Conference Centre in April 2016.

Prior to that, key stakeholders had embraced the vision of planned urban extension in May 2015, setting the pace for further development of the vision as a master concept plan. Over the last few months, the Ghana Design Lab has consulted with the local chiefs of Ningo and Prampram, culminating in the review and endorsement of the plan by key local experts at a review workshop last week. These discussions have paved the way for the finalization the concept for Ningo-Prampram city extension.

The extension plan has been developed jointly by a team of international planners who are part of the Urban Labs projects. The Urban Labs project, part of the Global Network of Urban Planning and Design Labs, is a joint initiative of UN-Habitat and Creative Industries Fund NL that brings together international expertise and local planners to work on implementable planning assignments. The Urban Labs project is also in operation in Myanmar, Mexico, Palestine, and Philippines.