Acknowledgements

This report would not have been possible without the valuable contributions of numerous people and institutions. The master’s students from the Woodrow Wilson School would like to acknowledge their support and thank them for their time and effort.

Invaluable input and guidance were provided by the team from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design including our policy workshop professor, Dr. Eugenie Birch, and two PhD candidates, Chandan Deuskar and Kimberly Noronha. Their expertise in the areas of urban design and planning augmented our research, enhanced our analysis, and informed our recommendations.

We would like to thank our client, 100 Resilient Cities, for allowing us to support its work in Accra and for providing resources and support throughout our time in Accra. We especially want to thank Jeb Brugmann from 100 Resilient Cities whose leadership, insight, and expertise helped shape the scope and direction of this project in impactful ways. We are also thankful for the guidance and coordination provided by Martine Sobey prior to our arrival as well as on site in Accra. Finally, we are grateful to the Rockefeller Foundation for hosting our team in its New York office and for offering us an opportunity to share the findings from our study.

The Woodrow Wilson School students would like to thank Karen McGuinness, Jeffrey Oakman and the other administrators in the Graduate Program Office at WWS who provided the logistical support that made our international travel possible. We also want to acknowledge the endowment from the Robertson family that financially supports the policy workshop experience for all master’s students at the Woodrow Wilson School.

This project was enhanced by the input of many stakeholders working to bolster Accra’s resilience. These include representatives from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, members of People’s Dialogue, officers from the Accra police force, local architects, and community members. Many conversations with these actors during our field research and the 100 Resilient Cities CoLab provided invaluable context and shaped our thinking about policy solutions.

Lastly, we express our gratitude for the people of Accra whose culture, history, and experiences we had the honor to study. In particular, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to the residents who welcomed members of our team into their homes and shared their daily routines for the purpose of our research. It was a privilege to see Accra through their eyes and to learn from their perspectives.