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Gamma level cities are cities that link smaller economic regions into the world economy.
Accra is the capital of Ghana with an estimated urban population of
2,291,352 as of 2012.
It is the capital of greater Accra region and of the Accra metropolitan district with which it is coterminous.
Acca is furthermore the anchor of a larger metroploitan area which is home to about 4 million people making it the second largest metropolitan conglomeration in Ghana by population and the 11th largest in Africa.
Accra stetches along the Ghanaian Atlantic coast and extends north into the country's interior. Originally built around a port, it served as the capital of the british ruled Gold Coast between 1877 and 1957.
Once merely a 10th century suburb of Victoria burg, Accra has since transitioned into a modern metropolis with the city's architecture refelecting this history. Ranging from 19th century british colonial buildings to modern skyscrapers and apartment blocks.
Accra is Ghana's primate city serving as the nation's economic and administrative hub.
It is furthermore a centre of culture and tourism, sporting a wide range of hotels restaurants nightclubs and lounge bars.
A number of new buildings have sprung up since the early 1990's.
The Globalization and World City Research Network designated Accra a Gamma minus world city indicating a growing level of international influence and connectedness.
The central business district contains the city’s main banks and department stores, the Cocoa marketing board headquarters (Dealing with Cocoa Ghana’s chief export), and an area known as the ministries where Ghana’s government administration is concentrated.
An expansion of the economy led to many more commercial buildings being built.
Buildings on High Street also formed a massive administrative and judicial complex
Economic activities in Accra include the financial and agricultural sectors, Atlantic fishing and the manufacture of processed food, agriculture, lumber, plywood and textiles.
In the years following world war II, the neighbourhoods of Ridge and Cantonments were planned as low density developments for Europeans, while many rural migrants settled in neighbourhoods which had not yet been incorporated into Accra’s municipal boundary, such as NIMA or Accra Newton.
Thus the developments of these neighbourhoods outside of Accra‘s municipal boundary was unregulated by the government, creating a crowded and jumbled shanty town landscape.
In 1944 Accra‘s city planner Maxwell fry devised a town plan which was revised in 1958 by B D W TREAVALLION and Alan Flood. Although their plan was never followed through, It illustrated the British vision of how Accra should develop.
With their estimated population of approximately 4 million, Accra is today one of the largest and fastest growing cities in Africa with an annual growth rate of 3.36%.
The late 1980’s boom in the service sector once again propelled immigration to Accra. One of the factors resulting from the industrial expansion from the 60’s and 70’s in the manufacturing and commercial sectors was the rural and urban migration from West African Nationals to the city and consequentl y a high population growth of 35% from immigration.
GAMMA LEVEL CITIES
