Private sector lawyer and policy analyst, David Ofosu-Dorte, has argued that the development of Ghana’s cities has been profoundly influenced by colonial-era policies, some of which, he says, were driven more by economic and racial considerations than by sound urban planning principles.

Speaking at the JoyNews Amalgam of Professional Bodies Speaker Series on managing cities for economic growth, Mr Ofosu-Dorte reflected on how historical regulations continue to shape modern urban landscapes in Ghana.

He pointed to the 1904 Building Ordinance as a striking example, describing it as “one of the most obnoxious laws” when viewed in hindsight.

According to him, the ordinance mandated specific architectural requirements, including unusually thick building columns, not for structural necessity but to create demand for British construction materials.

“We have tried to manage our cities as they develop in various ways,” he said. “For example, one of the most obnoxious laws, looking back, is what is known as the building ordinance in 1904. That ordinance, strictly speaking, was designed to sell British cement… It has nothing to do with the integrity and structure of the building.”

He further explained that such policies reflected broader colonial economic interests, where urban planning decisions were often aligned with commercial objectives rather than local needs or efficiency.

Mr Ofosu-Dorte also highlighted how public health concerns during the colonial period influenced city layouts and architectural designs.

He cited policies related to mosquito control, which, he argued, shaped the spatial arrangement of buildings in ways that reinforced social divisions.

“You may want to take a look at this as to how the designs were also influenced by things like the mosquito policy and later the mosquito ordinance,” he noted.

“Buildings had to be configured in a way that if the wind blew from the south-westerly, it would carry away the mosquito to the boys’ quarters and bite the locals, so it doesn’t bite the white man who lived in the main bungalow.”

According to him, these were not incidental outcomes but deliberate planning choices embedded in official policy frameworks.

Such approaches, he suggested, reveal how environmental factors like disease control were intertwined with colonial social hierarchies, ultimately influencing the physical and aesthetic character of cities.

“These are written policies that affect how cities are designed,” he added. “So the aesthetics of a city may actually be affected by how a mosquito can cause malaria.”

Mr Ofosu-Dorte stressed that the evolution of cities is shaped by a complex interplay of factors, including economic interests, health considerations, governance systems and historical context.