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Urban informal economic activities in the developing world have not been fully understood by city authorities. These viable economic activities are seen as a nuisance and are brutally treated. Using the case of Kumasi, Ghana's second city, this study draws on multiple qualitative methods to explore the production, form, and dynamics of urban informality. Respondents were selected among street hawkers, market traders, shop owners, city officials and customary authorities. Four main forms of informal economic activities are identified: roaming, settling, attaching, and inserting. The study suggests differential treatment of these informal economic activities and calls for recognition, acceptance, and inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transdisciplinary research has gained traction globally for mapping pathways for sustainable urbanisation. The involvement of local communities is believed to central to knowledge co-production needed to address sustainability challenges. But working with local communities can be challenging. This paper is structured around the authors' personal reflections on undertaking transdisciplinary household energy conservation projects in Ghana and South Africa. The paper reflects on the assumptions and challenges of doing transdisciplinary research in urban Africa and suggests some guidelines for consideration when doing transdisciplinary projects. An inductive analysis of our reflections showed five key challenges: lack of integration, divergent problem identification, tensions in knowledge co-production, asymmetrical power relations, and distrust and managing expectations. We draw on our collective experiences to develop guidelines for conducting transdisciplinary research in urban Africa. These guidelines are not prescriptive but can be useful for a growing and broader audience interested in undertaking transdisciplinary research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored prospects of extending propositions of the value-belief-norm theory to off-farm livelihood preferences among food crop farmers in the savanna ecological zone of Ghana. The predominantly qualitative study used the case study approach. Data collection involved questionnaire administration to 197 households, 6 community-level focus group discussions, and 18 key informant interviews. Quantitative analysis involved a non-parametric chi-square test at 95% confidence level and descriptive statistics. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically using NVivo software. The study departs from the dominant application of the value-belief-norm theory to pro-environmental behavior, to explore the theory’s prospects for explaining off-farm livelihood activities of men and women food crop farmers. It found that effects of climate change on the off-farm livelihoods of male farmers differed significantly from females. The study also found that the fundamental link between values, beliefs, and norms as proposed by the value-belief-norm theory successfully explained off-farm livelihood choices in response to climate change and explained the strong difference between men and women in off-farm livelihood responses. It recommends that public policy developmental programs targeting off-farm livelihoods acknowledge the dichotomy in off-farm livelihood preferences, as well as the role of values, beliefs, and norms, and accommodate these in development programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]