Chapter One: General Introduction

Sustainable urban governance and planning (SUG&P) within sustainable urban transformation (SUT) emphasizes the distinctive challenges and complexities encountered in developing countries. It explores the evolution of societies from ancient civilizations to the Industrial Revolution, focusing on resultant issues like environmental degradation, infrastructural deficiencies, and the provision of essential services. In regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, the study aims to create an effective SUG&P framework, particularly tailored for SUT. This involves a thorough analysis of pivotal factors and obstacles, a comprehensive literature review, and an in-depth case study focused on urban centres in Ghana. The research is propelled by the global movement towards sustainable development, with a special emphasis on the unique challenges and opportunities in developing nations. The significance of this research lies in its detailed examination of how urban governance and planning can critically influence SUT. By assessing current sustainable urban development (SUD) policies and initiatives, the study seeks to enrich the discourse on urban transformation in emerging economies. The objectives include the development of new theories on SUG&P, an investigation into stakeholder behaviours, and the establishment of a feasible framework for SUG&P in the context of SUT. This chapter sets the stage for an in-depth analysis of SUG&P’s role in driving forward SUT, with a focus on the setting of developing countries and their unique challenges and opportunities.