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Neighbourhoods of Accra
 View of a neighbourhood in Accra with the Villagio Vista visible on the right. The city of Accra, capital of Ghana, is officially divided into five geographical regions: North, West, East, Central and south - and eleven sub-metropolitan areas: Osu Klottey, Ablekuma North, Ablekuma South, Ayawaso Central, Ayawaso East, Ayawaso North, Ayawaso West, La, Okaikoi North, Okaikoi South, Abossey Okai, and Ashiedu Keteke. The word "neighbourhood" can take on various official and unofficial meanings. There are, however, 50 official neighbourhoods (i.e. planned and unplanned anchor neighbourhoods) within the city limits of Accra.[1] "Neighbourhoods" exist on both large and small scales. Osu, Jamestown and Usshertown, established during the colonial era, have well-defined boundaries by virtue of their siting around the respective forts of Christiansborg, James Fort, and Ussher Fort. The unplanned nature of the city has resulted in the development of slums and much smaller communities within officially recognized neighbourhoods with a well-defined centre but poorly identified extremities. OverviewAccra's expansion has influenced the naming of certain neighbourhoods, such as the Airport Residential Area, North Ridge, East Ridge, West Ridge, West Legon/Westlands, East Legon, and Korle Gonno. Accra CentralDowntown Accra is the site of the government ministries, and the districts of Victoriaborg, West Ridge, and East Ridge. Surrounding downtown are the neighbourhoods of the Adabraka, Asylum Down, Jamestown, Swalaba, North Ridge, Tudu and Christiansborg/Osu. Osu-RE to be precise is arguably the liveliest part of Accra and the most preferred hang-out spot for tourists visiting the city.[2] Accra NorthNorth of downtown, the neighbourhood of Airport Residential Area, so named because of its proximity to the Kotoka International Airport, is one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in Accra.[3] East Legon and West Legon/Westlands are also wealthy neighbourhoods inhabited by wealthy Ghanaians, academics, government officials, and ex-patriates.[4] Other neighbourhoods located in the expansive northern section of Accra are Roman Ridge, Kanda, Dzorwulu, East Legon, Kaneshie, North Kaneshie, Accra New Town, Nima, Kokomlemle, Tesano, Maamobi, Alajo, Christian Village, Apenkwa, Darkuman, Awoshie, Avenor, Kwashieman, Achimota, Bubiashie, Kotobabi, Abelemkpe, Bawaleshie, and Abeka. Accra WestWest of downtown are the neighbourhoods of Korle Gonno, Lartebiokorshie, Abossey Okai, Mataheko, Mpoase, Chorkor, Dansoman, Mamprobi, and Odorkor. Dansoman is Accra's largest neighbourhood and predominantly a working-class community, considered to be Accra's most diverse. However, it is stated emphatically and well documented that Mamprobi is not part of Dansoman and still remains a controversial topic[5] Korle Gonno borders Korle-Bu Hospital, which doubles as the teaching hospital of the University of Ghana.[6] Accra EastEast of downtown are the neighbourhoods of Cantonments (the site of the U.S. Embassy in Ghana), Labadi, La, Burma Camp, and Airport Hills. Neighbourhood areasFollowing the years of Accra's prosperity after World War II, and Kwame Nkrumah's emphasis on the development of Accra and its immediate environs after independence, Accra was the favoured destination for job-seeking migrants.[7] This phenomenon brought about the development of unplanned communities on the periphery of the limits of Accra at the time. Over the years, these suburban areas were absorbed into the urban area of Accra and created a dichotomy between planned and unplanned settlements within the city. Planned neighbourhoodsCurrently, most of Accra's 22 planned neighbourhoods were developed in the colonial era and are inhabited by rich Ghanaians and expatriates. 
Unplanned neighbourhoodsGiven the disproportionate rate of expansion of the city and the provision of basic infrastructure and services, unplanned neighbourhoods are characterized by poor road networks, poor drainage systems, and insufficient water and electricity services. Although not mutually exclusive, these unplanned settlements can be further distinguished from slums, where a slum is defined as a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security.[8] For purposes of this article, a slum will further be categorized as an area of severely low income where working migrants living in makeshift accommodations are the majority.
Slums
List of communities within neighbourhoodsWithin some of the neighbourhoods in Accra are smaller communities listed below. Taking into account the slums, communities, planned and unplanned neighbourhoods, unofficially there are approximately 120 neighbourhoods within the city limits of Accra.
References
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