Innovative spatial planning and participatory development planning cities and urbanizing regions.  Conducting needs analysis for layouts to meet the needs of users. Delving into key constraints and current challenges faced in the provision of affordable housing on a large scale. Availability/creation of structure plan ( master plan) for the city clearly indicating the broad land uses – residential, environmentally sensitive areas ( protected areas), major infrastructure layouts (utilities, road networks), industrial, etc. Out of the structure plan/ master plan that is a long term plan with vision and strategies for achieving the earlier identified broad land uses and services, there should be a local plan which is a portion of the structure plan showing the parcel by parcel/ plot by plot land uses such as playgrounds, sanitary areas, schools, corner shops, etc. with road networks.

Low municipal financing to undertake large scale housing in developing countries particularly Sub-Sahara African countries (In Ghana, IGFs of MMDAs are merely for administrative purposes). Unavailability of Housing Authorities as well as large scale housing provision policies and instruments are the challenges faced in the providing affordable housing on a large scale.