Abstract

In Ghana, studies on urban sprawl have focused on the use of conventional survey maps and qualitative descriptions that mask policy-relevant information for planning. We apply remote sensing data and spatial statistics to examine the Spatio-temporal dynamics in the internal structure of two cities. We find that the total area of the urban fabric in Wa increased from 11.365ha ± 0.413ha in 1986 to 1, 775.848ha ± 52.094ha in 2017, while Tamale’s increased from 715.425ha ± 5.969ha in 1984 to 6,890.177ha ± 208.105ha in 2017. The results also revealed contiguity in urban clusters. We discuss the implications of our findings within the context of spatial planning in Ghana.

African Geographical Review, DOI: 10.1080/19376812.2019.1677482