Socio-Spatial Injustice and Planning Paralysis: True Service Accessibility and Land Management Failure in Rapidly Urbanizing Buea, Cameroon

Sustainable urban development is profoundly challenged by socio-spatial inequality that systematically disadvantages vulnerable groups across geographical space, directly undermining the Right to the City. Addressing this is critical for achieving SDG 11, yet rapid Sub Saharan African urbanization continuously generates spatial disparities. Using Buea, Cameroon, this study sought to: (1) assess the spatial distribution and multi-dimensional accessibility of healthcare and security services; (2) quantify the resulting inequalities and their implications for population well-being; and (3) analyze the governance policy failures perpetuating this injustice. We employed a robust mixed-methods approach. GIS-based analysis established nominal access metrics. The legal framework was analyzed via thematic content analysis, while the causes of ineffective enactment were explored through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. A strati ied household survey then quanti ied the impacts, using Chi-square tests (χ2) to compare service outcomes between settlements, triangulating legal de icit, governance failure, and household experience. Nominal proximity was misleading proxy for true access. While marginalized areas were within a distance norm (400m-800m), the true barrier lies in infrastructural decay and planning failure. Sectoral health and security laws were disconnected from spatial planning mandates, creating a legal vacuum. This governance failure was evident as emergency vehicle access dropped from 97% in planned areas to 45% in unplanned zones (χ2=p<0.041), and average travel time to health centers escalated from 18 minutes to a prohibitive 70 minutes. Political interference was the primary mechanisms preventing law enforcement; ensuring spatial inequality was an enforced outcome of planning paralysis. Hence, spatial inequality in Buea was not merely a technical problem of distance but a direct manifestation of socio-spatial injustice. The projected population dynamics will escalate this crisis by 2030, fundamentally undermining the core tenets of SDG 11. This study proposed shifting to a harmonized, needs-based planning approach that emphasized true access policies, infrastructure development and institutional reform.