Challenges of Town Planning in the Bamenda Urban Space, North West Region of Cameroon: A Historical Investigation, 1972-2020

Abstract

Bamenda’s urban landscape is a paradox: a city planned on paper yet built in defiance of every plan. This study investigates the persistent challenges of urban planning in the Bamenda urban space from 1972 to 2020. It argues that the Bamenda urban space faced severe challenges in town planning, which were overwhelming and remained unresolved over the decades. The study made appeal to some selected primary and secondary sources, and conclusions were drawn after a qualitative historical analysis. The findings reveal that among the many challenges, the Anglophone problem/crisis stood out as the most significant obstacle to effective planning in Bamenda.