Secondary cities under siege: examining peri-urbanisation and farmer households’ livelihood diversification practices in Ghana

Land formalisation and commoditisation are influencing peri-urban growth in secondary cities. This notwithstanding, studies on peri-urbanisation have not prioritized secondary cities and how land transactions shape city expansion and engender livelihood diversification. Few perspectives in urban theory and practice are derived from such secondary cities, while trajectories indicate that such cities are becoming the new face of urbanisation in the Global South. Drawing evidence from Wa, Ghana, the study explores the dynamics of peri-urbanisation, and livelihood diversification through the lenses of land formalisation and a sustainable livelihood framework. Primary data were sourced from randomly selected households using questionnaires together with key informant interviews, focus group discussions and observation. To understand the spatial characteristics of peri-urban areas, Landsat satellite data were employed in analysing the land use land cover (LULC) change in Wa Municipality from 1986 to 2019. Descriptive statistics, thematic analysis and content analysis were deployed to analyse the quantitative and qualitative primary data gathered. The findings show substantial physical urban development and transition from the inner urban enclave into the periphery from the 1980s–2010s. The observed urban transformation was primarily motivated by land sales in the peri-urban areas. Despite the significant land conversion from agricultural to other uses, it was revealed that farming remained an integral livelihood activity for peri-urban households. The results indicate that embracing and applying the ideals of negotiated planning will be imperative in shaping the sustainable transformation in secondary cities.