Mainstreaming urban green infrastructure into residential housing in Ghana

As we approach 2030, the call to create safe, affordable, and resilient cities has become more urgent than ever and the integration of urban green infrastructure in residential housing is one of the ways to achieve this aspiration. In doing so, there will be the opportunity to support the transition to sustainable cities. However, literature on the extent to which urban green infrastructure is integrated into residential housing premises in Ghana is quite limited, particularly in emerging cities. To contribute to this knowledge gap, a survey involving 369 respondents and interviews with homeowners, architects, landscape professionals, and civil engineers were conducted to ascertain the extent to which green infrastructure is mainstreamed in residential housing in Wa, Ghana. The findings show good knowledge of green infrastructure benefits among participants and the need for adoption into residential housing. The potential of green infrastructure to support climate regulation, recreational, provisioning and technical as part of broader ecosystem services were reasons participants consider urban green infrastructure adoption as very crucial. However, green infrastructure adoption in residential homes in the city is low because of high financial cost. The policy implications of the study are discussed.