Abstract

The need for the creation of more market spaces to respond to an increasing population demand has arisen strongly in Yaounde. Not only are they needed to meet up with demand but also to curb shopping distances as the city sprawls; accommodate seeking traders and ameliorate the trading environments. The main thrust of this paper is to examine the impact of rapid urbanization on the demand for the creation of more markets in Yaounde. Field surveys by questionnaire and interviews were the main tools of data collection. The study established an intricate relationship between urbanization and the creation of markets in Yaounde. From 1984 to 2013, there was a 63.6% increase in the number of markets in the metropolis. Over 76.9% of markets surveyed started in unplanned locations and were later relocated. Most of the markets were created in the 1960s and 1970s. This study suggests the need for the implementation of strong decentralisation policies to reduce urbanisation rates and lessen pressures on social and economic infrastructures in the cities and equally the planned creation of markets at urban growth fronts in the city.

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