Urban space renaissance of a developing country city

African Governments are envisioning their cities in the images of world-class cities elsewhere. This has led to relentless inner-city regeneration but with some challenges. This article examines these challenges and their implications for urban development in the Ghanaian context. Through multiple research techniques, Ghana’s inner-city regeneration revealed contradictions and distortions typified by contestations and dispossessions. The challenges we argue were the offshoot of poor governance with limited community participation in the process, a situation which reflects how urban development is framed in a developing country city. To decipher the challenges will require innovative solutions premised on an all-inclusive urban governance approach.