Empty Streets: How not to decongest Ghana’s capital and major cities – IMANI 

Accra’s recent decongestion efforts raise critical questions: Are we creating functional urban spaces, or are we inadvertently draining economic vibrancy from our streets? A bustling street is more than just a crowded space—it’s an economic ecosystem.

Traders, transport operators, food vendors, and artisans all contribute to the informal economy, which sustains millions of livelihoods. When decongestion efforts forcibly remove these actors without alternative trading spaces, the result is economic displacement, leading to loss of income for informal traders, reduced consumer convenience, and a decline in local commerce.

Accra’s Central Business District (CBD), once a hub of economic activity, risks becoming a sterile urban space if authorities fail to integrate informal trade into city planning.

New York City has embraced street vending as part of its urban fabric. Instead of banning vendors outright, the city has designated vending zones, issued permits, and created seasonal markets that allow informal traders to operate legally while maintaining urban order.

Similarly, London’s approach to urban planning integrates commerce, pedestrian movement, and city beautification. Areas like Covent Garden and Borough Market thrive because they blend formal retail with informal trade, ensuring economic vibrancy without congestion. Furthermore, Marrakesh’s souks are a testament to how cities can preserve informal trade while maintaining order.

Instead of erasing street commerce, authorities have structured market spaces, allowing vendors to operate within designated areas without disrupting urban flow.

Ghana’s urban authorities must redefine decongestion beyond mere evictions. A more sustainable approach would include designated vending zones with proper infrastructure, time-based trading regulations to balance commerce and mobility, and public-private partnerships to integrate informal trade into urban planning. Rather than emptying streets, Ghana must reimagine them—creating spaces that are functional, inclusive, and economically vibrant.

Urban decongestion should not come at the cost of economic vitality. Accra and other Ghanaian cities must learn from global models that balance order with commerce, ensuring that decongestion enhances rather than erases economic activity.

A thriving city is not just organized—it is economically alive.