Decolonial Strategies for Urban Greenery: Insights from Reimagining Planning Through Epistemic Pluralism in Kumasi

Abstract

In the context of global crises, the field of urban planning is critiqued for reproducing unsustainable practices and excluding non-Western epistemologies. This paper explores how Indigenous knowledge practices in Kumasi, Ghana, reveal alternative value systems for planning rooted in relationality, reciprocity, and care. The study draws on fieldwork carried out through community engagement activities, foregrounding the voices of local actors who are often marginalised in planning discourses. Conducted within a transnational North-South university research collaboration, the research examines how engaging with epistemic pluralism can inform more just and inclusive planning processes. By framing planning as a cultural and value-laden practice, the paper contributes to the growing call for decolonising planning practices through the recognition of diverse knowledge systems.