New British Academy funded research project on urban parks in Ghana

Karen Lauterbach, Associate Professor at CAS, is co-investigator on a British Academy funded project titled “Old parks, new futures: recording the uses of open space in an African city”. The project is a collaboration between Dr. George Bob-Milliar (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana) and Dr. Ben Jones (University of East Anglia).

The project further mentors three early career scholars from KNUST.  The goal of the project is to research and examine the political history and current use of Jackson Park (now Golden Jubilee Park), which was founded in 1935 but has poor upkeep and services. Three case studies are used to examine the many uses of Jackson Park: 'getting votes,' 'getting noticed,' and 'getting by.'.

Associate Professor Karen Lauterbach case looks at a variety of actors, including entrepreneurs, sports groups, non-profit organizations, and religions, and how they might use a park to build a following. The main goal is to show how an old urban park can be used for civil society and business. 

You can read more about the project here: https://www.knust.edu.gh/news/news-items/knust-researcher-receives-british-academy-grant-mentor-early-career-scholars