ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates how the informal social and political networks that underlie state-society relations in Africa contribute to the growth of slums. It suggests rethinking the scholarly and policy debate from one of an 'urban crisis' to 'political opportunity'. The chapter also suggests shifting the scholarly and policy debate from an urban crisis to political opportunity. This is because the dual transition of rapid urbanization and political liberalization across the continent provides new spaces for the accumulation of political power. The chapter shows how the consolidation of multi-party democracy since 1992 is necessary to understand urban governance in Ghana. It then focuses on urban Ghana, similar patterns of multi-party politics are apparent in democracies across Africa. Broad-based participation at the local level is necessary to organize slum upgrading and urban development. One potential solution is to decentralize decision-making to the community level, as long as there are accountability mechanisms in place to hold leaders to account.
