Abstract:
The main ambition is to expose the relationship between physical characteristics of a
slum environment and the quality of life of its residents, which it investigates in Nima,
a slum neighborhood of Accra. The conceptual framework seeks to synthesize and
contribute to the discourse on urban poverty, slums, livelihoods and quality of life,
currently dominated by organizations such as The World Bank and UN-Habitat. The
thesis combines methods from social and planning disciplines in order to reach a
multifocal understanding of processes involved. The spatial analysis describes the
spatial and physical characteristics of Nima, whereas the subsequent quality of life
analysis describes residents' perceptions of their life and life-space. Comparison of
the two analyses shows that relationships between individuals and environment are
more complex and meaningful than popular discourse on slums can account for.
Presence of upward mobility suggests that residents of Nima are not preoccupied
with ‘surviving’, but are actively improving their quality of life, in which for many Nima
plays an important part. The main contribution is the recognition that combining
different disciplines and perspectives to analyze such a complex relationship can
lead to important insights and a broader understanding, valuable for informing
decisions of governance and planning.
