New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential hopeful, Kwabena Agyepong, has outlined plans to place structured urban development and rural renewal at the centre of his governance agenda if elected president.

Speaking in Accra on Tuesday, January 20, Mr Agyepong said Ghana’s rapid and largely unplanned urban growth poses serious risks to sustainability, productivity and quality of life, and must be addressed through deliberate policy choices.

He described the current state of urban expansion as disorganised and inefficient, arguing that cities must be properly planned to support economic activity and provide decent living conditions for residents.

According to him, his approach would rely heavily on collaboration with professionals in the built environment, including architects, engineers and urban planners, whom he said possess the technical expertise required to redesign Ghana’s cities.

“These professionals are my colleagues, and they understand what it takes to fix the challenges we see in our cities today,” he noted, stressing that technical competence would guide policy decisions.

Mr Agyepong also underscored the need to refocus national development on rural areas, saying sustained investment in rural infrastructure and services would help improve livelihoods and reduce excessive migration to urban centres.

“My government will work with built environment professionals to turn our chaotic urban sprawl into well-planned, liveable cities, while revitalising rural communities with modern amenities to improve livelihoods,” he said.