Translating Globalised Ideals into Local Settings: The Actors and Complexities of Post-settlement Water Infrastructure Planning in Urban Ghana

Abstract Following the principles of networked city and urban planning, pro-active planning water infrastructure is pertinent for attaining universal access. Ironically, in cities Global South, provision takes form post-settlement networks—where human settlements evolve to steer large-scale network. However, little known about complexities, processes motives, actors involved how they navigate towards universalising I investigate this kind ideal, drawing inspiration from technological translations North using case Wa, a secondary Ghana. The study revealed that off-grid systems initially served cities. network later evolved as “reactive measure” driven by rise population, failure attain Despite that, resistance residents, spatial disorder sprawling growth, utility policies capabilities challenged efforts state supply. Through creativity, providers negotiated invented multiple models supply contradictory “mono-modal” city. This produced segregated access across zones findings suggest though represents an attempted translation practice, it does not conform with hegemonic premise foster South.