Govt Tasked To Protect Public Spaces
The UN Resident Coordinator, Christine
Evans-Klock, has called on governments and urban authorities to ensure
that public spaces are protected and well designed to help human
movements and settlements.
Public spaces by definition include
walk-ways, vehicle terminals, parks and gardens, sports and recreational
grounds, open compounds and durbar grounds.
The resident coordinator made the call
at a press briefing on the United Nations World Habitat Day held at the
conference room of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural
Development in Accra.
The need to protect space has arisen as a
result of the recent mad rush by developers to take over nearly all
fallow spaces such as school compounds, parks, cemeteries, streets,
walk-ways, recreational centres, among others, and rezoning them into
high rise facilities or other infrastructure.
The theme for the month-long celebration is ‘Public Spaces for All’.
The United Nations has designated the
first Monday of October every year as World Habitat Day to reflect on
the state of towns and cities and on basic right of all to adequate
shelter.
It is also intends to remind world citizens that all have the power and responsibility to shape the future of cities.
In Ghana, the Ministry of Local
Government and Rural Development through its Urban Development Unit has
further designated the month as ‘Urban October Month’.
During the ‘Urban Month October’, the
ministry will raise awareness, promote participation and generate
knowledge as well as engage the international community towards a new
urban agenda.
The resident coordinator mentioned that a
good public space for a city enhances community cohesion and promotes
health, happiness and well-being for all citizens.
Ms Evans-Klock further mentioned that
public space provides room for social and cultural interactions and has
the potential to foster a sense of belonging and pride in an area,
adding that the character of a city is defined by its streets and public
space.
Chief Director of the Ministry of Local
Government and Rural Development, C.K Dondieu, who represented the
minister, highlighted that with urbanisation, public spaces have become
even more important to protect, maintain and increase in value to
enhance the people’s quality of life.
The chief director indicated that the
ministry and its partners through its technical teams have set the ball
rolling on a new urban policy to help it build resilient cities which
would eliminate related stresses and shocks.
Source:http://www.dailyguideghana.caom/govt-tasked-to-protect-public-spaces/
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