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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Built Environ.
Sec. Urban Science
Volume 11 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbuil.2025.1582670
THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL IDENTITY IN ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Provisionally accepted
John Edward Cobbina1,2
Simon Ofori Ametepey1,2,3,4*
Clinton Aigbavboa3Emmanuel Yaw Frempong-Jnr1
Wellington Didibhuku Thwala4Andrew Ebekozien3,5
Hutton Addy2,3*- 1Koforidua Technical University, Koforidua, Eastern Region, Ghana
- 2Centre for Sustainable Development, Koforidua, Ghana
- 3University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 4Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa
- 5Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Nigeria
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Purpose -An urban centre's cultural identity (CI) is the tangible and intangible elements instituted and incorporated in the urban place-making process to provide individuals or groups with their identity, sense of belongingness, and ownership. With recent trends in urban growth, especially in developing countries, an in-depth understanding of the elements or determinants of urban development that will ensure a sustainable urban environment has become critical in the global development discussion. This study investigates the influence of CI and its essential elements of sustainable urban development (SUD).Design/methodology/approach -A quantitative research method using closed-ended questions from a questionnaire survey was utilised to solicit responses from sampled professionals within the urban planning and development space in four urban centres in Ghana.The data obtained were analysed by employing exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modelling (SEM) to establish the influence of CI and its elements in achieving SUD and to explain the common underlying dimensions of the elements.Findings -The findings highlight that elements associated with government initiative and support systems and effective institutional structure for cultural development under cultural identity were identified as the most critical elements that influence the achievement of SUD.Further, the hypothesis tested revealed a strong influence of CI in achieving SUD in developing countries.Research limitations/implications -This study is confined to the influence of CI and its essential elements of SUD.Practical implications -As part of the practical implications, the study suggests the need to highly consider CI and its elements in the urban place-making process to attain SUD.Originality/value -Besides findings influencing CI and its essential elements of SUD in developing countries, using Ghana as a case study, the study indicates that government initiatives, and support systems, and institutional structures for promoting and protecting culture are relevant and influential in achieving SUD in developing countries.
Keywords: culture, Cultural identity, Developing Countries, sustainable development, Sustainable urban development, urban growth
Received: 24 Feb 2025; Accepted: 07 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Cobbina, Ametepey, Aigbavboa, Frempong-Jnr, Thwala, Ebekozien and Addy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Simon Ofori Ametepey, Centre for Sustainable Development, Koforidua, Ghana
Hutton Addy, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
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