Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Regulatory Distress: Architects’ Perspective on Enforcement of Building Regulations in Ghana

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
The Construction Industry in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (CIDB 2019)

Abstract

Building regulation is considered as a remarkable means for ensuring orderly and sustainable development. Unfortunately, it has become a fault line and an elusive tool for developing countries. In Ghana, the chronic collapse of buildings, haphazard developments and increased number of defective buildings are signs of weaknesses in the enforcement of building controls. Based on the perspective of architects, the study seeks to confirm the key factors that accounts for the laxity in enforcement process and the potential use of smart building regulations to improve the system. Architects present during the Annual General Meeting of architects in Ghana were purposively sampled to answer survey questionnaires. Based on response from 86 architects, institutional factors; Inefficient and Insufficient Staff, Corruption and Absence of Public-Private Partnership were established as key factors that impacts negatively on enforcement of building regulations. The study recommends the use of smart approaches for effective building controls in Ghana.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Babatunde, O.K, Low, S.P.: Chinese construction firms in the Nigerian construction industry. Habitat Int. 40, 18–24 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Van Der Heijden, J.: Smart privatization: lessons from private sector involvement in Australian and Canadian building regulatory enforcement regimes. J. Comput. Policy Anal. Res. Pract. 12(5), 509–525 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Klepeis, N.E., Nelson, W.C., Ott, W.R., Robinson, J.P., Tsang, A.M., Switzer, P.: The National Human Activity Pattern Survey. Lawrence Berkeley Natl Lab [Internet] 11(3), 231–252 (2001). http://exposurescience.org/the-national-human-activity-pattern-survey-nhaps-a-resource-for-assessing-exposure-to-environmental-pollutants

  4. Owusu-Ansah, J.K., Atta-Boateng, F.: The spatial expression of physical development controls in a fast growing Ghanaian city. Land Use Policy 54, 147–157 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. World Bank. Building Regulation for Resilience: Managing Risks for Safer Cities. Global Facility Disaster Reduction and Recovery (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Van der Heijden, J.: Governance for Urban Sustainability and Resilience (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Akadiri, P.O., Chinyio, E.A., Olomolaiye, P.O.: Design of a sustainable building: a conceptual framework for implementing sustainability in the building sector. Buildings 2(2), 126–152 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. UN-Habitat: Urban Planning and Design at UN-Habitat, pp. 1–35

    Google Scholar 

  9. Mutunga, C., Zulu, E., De Souza, R.-M.: Population Dynamics, Climate Change, and Sustainable Development in Africa (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  10. UN-Habitat, Africa Planning Association. The State of Planning in Africa: An Overview (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  11. McAllister, L.K.: Dimensions of enforcement style: factoring in regulatory autonomy and capacity. Law Policy 32(1), 61–78 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Goodfellow, T.: Planning and development regulation amid rapid urban growth: explaining divergent trajectories in Africa. Geoforum 48, 83–93 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Ojelabi, R.A., Oyeyipo, O.O., Afolabi, A.: Built environment professionals’ perceptions of the effectiveness of building control measures in Lagos state. J. Constr. Dev. Countries 22(1), 41–54 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Ghana Statistical Service. 2010 Population and Housing Census Report: Urbanization (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Dahiru, D., Abdulazeez, D., Abubakar, M.: An evaluation of the edequacy of the National Building Code for achieving a sustainable built environment in Nigeria. Res. J. Environ. Earth Sci. 4, 857–865 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Ametepey, S.O., Ansah, S.K., Edu-Buandoh, K.B.M.: Assessing factors affecting implementation of the national building regulations (L. I. 1630) in Ghana. Publ. Policy Admission Res. 5(2), 66–74 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Botchway, E.A., Afram, O.S., Ankrah, J.: Building permit acquisition in Ghana: the situation in Kumasi. Developing Country Stud. 4(20), 11–22 (2014). www.iiste.org

  18. Casa Associati. Africa Adaptation Programme on Climate Change Risk Reduction in Physical Development (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Duah, D.: Building Regulation Enforcement in Ghana. eyeonafrica.matrix.msu.edu/2013/09/building-regulations-enforcement-in-ghana/

  20. Agyeman, S., Assiamah, S., Abeka, H.: Re-engineering the building permits acquisition processing to control the development of unauthorized structures in ghanaian communities. China-USA Bus. Rev. 15(4) (2016). http://www.davidpublisher.com/index.php/Home/Article/index?id=27131.html

  21. Ghanaweb.com (2017). https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Haatso-Market-building-collapses-construction-workers-flee-503807

  22. Myjoyonline.com (2017). https://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2017/January-31st/methodist-school-building-collapses-kills-4-pupils.php

  23. Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (2017). https://www.gbcghana.com/1.8554738

  24. Ghanaweb.com (2017). https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/20-seriously-injured-in-church-building-collapse-535956

  25. Ghanaweb.com (2017). https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Collapsed-building-kills-two-in-Accra-544711

  26. Adu-Gyamerah, E.: Techiman market building under construction collapses, killing one. Graphic Online (2017). https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/techiman-market-building-under-construction-collapses-killing-one.html

  27. Pedro, J.B., dos Santos, C.P.: Building regulations and control in the face of climate change: Overview of the Portuguese situation (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Meacham, B.J.: Toward next generation performance-based building regulatory systems. In: SFPE 11th Conference on Performance-Based Codes and Fire Safety Design Methods (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Van der Heijden, J., De Jong, J.: A better understanding of building regulation. Environ. Plann. B 36, 1038–1052 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Gunningham, N.: Compliance, Enforcement and Regulatory Excellence. https://www.law.upenn.edu/live/files/4717-gunningham-ppr-bicregulatordiscussionpaper-06

  31. May, P.J.: Regulatory Regimes and Accountability. Regulatory Governance (2007). http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/j.1748-5991.2007.00002

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  32. Gunningham, N., Sinclair, D.: Smart regulations. In: Drahos, P. (ed). Regulatory Theory: Foundations and Applications, pp. 133–148. Anu Press (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Baffour Awuah, K.G., Hammond, F.N., Lamond, J.E., Booth, C.: Benefits of urban land use planning in Ghana. Geoforum (2013). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum

  34. Owusu-Ansah, J.K., Atta-Boateng, F.: The spatial expression of physical development controls in a fast growing Ghanaian city. Land Use Policy (2016). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol

  35. Somiah, M.K., Osei-Poku, G., Aidoo, I.: Relative importance analysis of factors influencing unauthorized siting of residential buildings in the metropolis of Ghana. J. Build Constr. Plan Res. 3, 117–126 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Imrie, R.: The role of the building regulations in achieving housing quality. Environ. Plan B Plan Des. 31(3), 419–437 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Gunningham, N., Sinclair, D.: Smart regulation. Regul. Theory 1998, 133–148 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Eurofound: Smart regulation. Regulation (2004). https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relationsdictionary/

  39. Daye, B.N., Marie, L.D., Imane, F.T.M., Keiko, S.J.S., Yanovich, Y.: Dealing with Construction Permits: Private Sector Participation in Construction Regulation. Doing Business. World Bank Group, Washington, D.C (2018). http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/303541513853647106/Dealing-with-construction-permits-private-sector-participation-in-construction-regulation

  40. Gunningham, N., Sinclair, D.: Smart regulation. In: Drahos, P. (ed.). Regulatory Theory: Foundations and Applications, pp. 133–148. Acton ACT, Australia: ANU Press (2017). http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1q1crtm.16

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  41. Hamma-Adama, M., Kouider, T.: Causes of building failure and collapse in Nigeria: professionals’ view. Am. J. Eng. Res. (AJER) 6(12), 289–300 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  42. Imrie, R., Street, E.: Architectural Design and Regulation (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  43. Landis, J.R., Koch, G.G.: The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Society 33(1), 159–174 (2013)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  44. Commonwealth Association of Architects. Planning for Rapid Urbanisation Survey of the Architectural Profession (2018). https://issuu.com/comarchitect.org/docs/caa_survey_of_the_architectural_pro/6

  45. Osei-Kyei, R., Chan, A.P.C.: Review of studies on the critical success factors for public-private partnership (PPP) projects from 1990 to 2013. Int. J. Proj. Manage. 33(6), 1335–1346 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Viera, A.J., Garrett, J.M.: Interrater agreement: Kappa statistic. Fam. Med. 37(5), 360–363 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This paper is part of an ongoing PhD study on building regulatory regimes for sustainable urban development in Ghana.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Architecture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana Private Mail Bag, Kumasi, Ghana

    Justice Kwame Offei-Nketiah, Titus Ebenezer Kwofie & Daniel Yaw Addai Duah

Authors
  1. Justice Kwame Offei-Nketiah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Titus Ebenezer Kwofie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Daniel Yaw Addai Duah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Justice Kwame Offei-Nketiah .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Construction management and Quantity Surveying, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

    Clinton Aigbavboa

  2. Construction management and Quantity Surveying, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

    Wellington Thwala

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Offei-Nketiah, J.K., Kwofie, T.E., Duah, D.Y.A. (2020). Regulatory Distress: Architects’ Perspective on Enforcement of Building Regulations in Ghana. In: Aigbavboa, C., Thwala, W. (eds) The Construction Industry in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. CIDB 2019. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26528-1_23

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26528-1_23

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-26527-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-26528-1

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation