The politics of drains: Everyday negotiations of infrastructure imaginaries in Accra

Abstract

In this article we unpack the infrastructural imaginary of urban residents in a neighbourhood in the northern periphery of Accra in Ghana, focussing on drainage. Based on interviews and observations, we describe how residents characterise their neighbourhood’s development as a linear progression in stages, each marked by the completion of different infrastructures. Our analysis brings out the visceral and affective underpinnings of infrastructure imaginaries, showing how residents sense their environment and attempt to change it. On the one hand, the aspiration towards linear neighbourhood development results in the stigmatisation of residents – referred to as ‘squatters’ even if they rent – some of whose practices are deemed unhygienic and who are therefore considered out of place. On the other hand, everyday interactions and mutual interdependence provide the foundation for collaboration and compromises across social divides. Studying how aspirations translate into neighbourhood development, we argue, requires that we engage with infrastructure as both political and pragmatic.