University of North Carolina, Charlotte | United States
Dr. Justice Kotani holds a PhD in Geography from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, following an MSc in Sustainability from the United Nations University – Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability in Tokyo and a BSc in Development Planning from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. His professional experience spans teaching assistance, program analysis and internships with the United Nations University (on carbon-pricing, NDCs and youth forums) and field planning roles with the Environmental Protection Agency (Ghana). His research interests centre on environmental planning, forest-landscape restoration, green infrastructure, urban informal economies and inclusive spatial governance in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Kotani has an h-index of 1, with four documents and two citations to date (via Google Scholar). He has published work on professional misconduct in planning, wetland ecosystems in Ghana, and spatial planning in informal urban economies; and earned the Wayland H. Cato Jr. First-Year Doctoral Fellowship among his awards. In summary, Dr. Kotani brings a strong international sustainability education, hands-on field experience and emerging scholarly contributions focused on socio-ecological transitions and inclusive planning.
Profile : Orcid
Featured Publications
1️⃣ Kotani, J. S., Akrofi, M. M., & Okitasari, M. (2025). Synergies and trade-offs between Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions and Sustainable Development Goals. Next Research, DOI: 10.1016/j.nexres.2025.100938**
2️⃣ Kotani, J. S., Takyi, S. A., Asibey, M. O., Amponsah, O., Quagraine, V. K., & Liwur, S. B. (2024). Planning in Ghana: Analysis of the various forms of professional misconduct from the perspective of professional planners. Planning Practice & Research, 1-20.