Welcome to the Centre for Settlements Studies (CSS)!
The Centre is an Educational and Advisory Research Centre under the Faculty of Built Environment (FABE) within the College of Art and Built Environment (CABE). It was formerly referred to as the Department of Housing and Planning Research (DPHR). The Centre was established in 1959 by the University Council on the advice of the World Bank as the principal institution to conduct research into housing and planning issues generally and to devise interventions targeted primarily towards addressing the socio-economic and housing needs of the rural and urban poor. Throughout its history, the Centre has played a vital role in supporting stakeholders within the built environment ecosystem (including the Government of Ghana) in developing sustainable and resilient approaches to settlement planning, development, and management.
Over the past decades, the Centre’s research activities have focused on policy-oriented studies that are tailored towards global declarations such as the Millenium Development Goals, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and African Union’s Agenda 2063. In recent times, the Centre has revised its research and development activities to embrace climate change resilience and gender mainstreaming and integrate technology in its research works. Based on this, the Centre’s staff and collaborators work within the following research clusters a) sustainable urban development systems, b) climate resilience and adaptation, c) rural settlements and livelihoods, d) housing and shelter, e) infrastructure and technological innovations, f) heritage and cultural landscapes, g) governance, policy, and social dynamics, h) health and well-being in settlements, i) population dynamics and migration and j) economic development and sustainability. The Centre is currently very active in driving public discourse, seeking to make academic research achieve social and community impact through co-production of knowledge.
The CSS is a founding member of the African Urban Research Initiative (AURI), a network of leading urban research institutions in Africa. We look forward to partnerships that will promote sustainable, smart and resilient settlements.
(BSc, MSc, PhD; MGIP)
About Us
- Vision & Mission
- History
- Our Work
- Affiliations or Partnerships
- Outreach
- Teaching
- Research and Promotion of Knowledge
CONTACT INFO
All enquiries should be directed to the office of the Head of Department
- Office: +233(0)3220-60308
- Mobile: +233(0)24 869 1327
- Email: css.cap@knust.edu.gh / head.css@knust.edu.gh