Entries by Sharon Benzoni | Informal City Dialogues
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Self-Appointed Traffic Cops Who are Always Around When You Need Them
Wherever construction snarls the roads or traffic lights go dark, you can find one of Accra’s many informal traffic cops, moving cars for small donations.
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Even Through Accra’s Development Boom, Urban Farms Crop Up Everywhere
Look out, Brooklyn: For decades, urban agriculture has been the only way residents of Accra could access fresh produce. Today, they remain as important as ever.
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Fire and Brimstone Burn a Path to Prosperity for Freelance Preachers
The street-corner preachers of Accra occupy a sweet spot in the informal economy: Authorities don’t hassle them, their flocks adore them and the good ones can make a killing.
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Tensions Flare Between Traders and Officials After an Informal Market Burns
Ever since a fire destroyed Accra’s Kantamanto Market last week, its shopkeepers have suspected the government will use the incident as an excuse to push them out in the name of progress.
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School Attendance, Rainwater and Other Keys to Accra’s Future
At the Informal City Dialogues’ Innovation Workshop in Accra, participants tackled the city’s problems from all sides, and chose two innovations that they hoped would push them toward a more resilient and inclusive future.
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Did Informal Construction Practices Play a Part in the Bangladesh Building Collapse?
The horrific collapse of a garment factory in Bangladesh last week recalled a similar recent disaster in Accra, raising questions about building codes and government oversight.
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Hope and Skepticism as Ghana Finally Adopts an Urban Policy
The plan lays out a fairly progressive set of objectives that could improve life for informal settlers and workers. Whether it succeeds remains to be seen.
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A Daily Quest for Water in a City Running Dry
The ubiquitous “Gallon” water tank can be seen everywhere in Accra, a constant reminder of the city’s struggle to stay hydrated — and the failures of its political leaders.
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The Life of an Imaginary Girl, All Grown Up in the Year 2040
Her name is Amina, and in the year 2040 she’ll be 27 years old. In a Future Scenarios Workshop, residents of Accra imagine what kind of city she’ll live in.
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Underground Mp3 Trade Brings Music to Accra’s Ears
In a city where music is a way of life — but internet access is not — secretive mp3 sellers prowl city streets, providing dance-addicted Ghanaians their fix.
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