Drivers for green cities development in developing countries: Ghanaian perspective
Caleb Debrah, De‐Graft Owusu‐Manu, Amos Darko, Eric Oduro-Ofori, P. C. Acquah, Eric Asamoah
Abstract
There is a lack of research on the drivers for green cities development in developing countries. This study aims to investigate the key drivers for green cities development in Ghana. To this end, 19 drivers were identified from a comprehensive literature review, and a questionnaire survey was performed with 154 professionals with green cities development experience. In using the exploratory factor analysis and the fuzzy synthetic evaluation, 4 green cities driver criteria were developed viz., health and wellbeing; green attraction and social inclusion; green governance and management; and green environment and materials. Though this study was conducted in Ghana, the lessons could be adapted for promoting green cities development in other countries that share similar characteristics with Ghana. This paper presents the first comprehensive empirical study on the drivers for green cities development in Ghana, contributing to the green cities’ development body of knowledge. The findings can help policymakers and practitioners promote widespread green cities development.