Urban Transformations in Sierra Leone

The Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre would like to invite you to this high-level conference on

‘Urban Transformations in Sierra Leone – Lessons from SLURC’s research in Freetown’.
This conference will facilitate dialogues on how research about urban development in Freetown can be applied to influence policy and planning practices towards the transformation of informal settlements in Sierra Leone. The conference is run in partnership with the number one faculty of the built environment in the world, The Bartlett from University College London.

The dialogues in the conference aim to inform directly the implementation of the Transform Freetown Plan, as well as the new National Development Plan. The Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr will provide the view of Freetown City Council on urban issues in her opening statement.

The conference will cover four thematic areas:

• Urban Health
• Urban Livelihoods and the City Economy
• Urban Vulnerability and Resilience
• Land and Planning

You will learn about the key findings in those areas and hear practitioners and policy makers reflect on the learning with opportunities for plenary Q&A. By providing a platform for all stakeholders – government departments, Freetown City Council, academia, NGOs, Private Sector, CBOs and community members - to share ideas, learn from each other and form new relationships and alliances, SLURC aims to move the agenda on urban issues forward, not just for Freetown but for all cities and towns in Sierra Leone.

Key speakers
The Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, will deliver an opening statement. The key speakers come from a range of expertise areas and have a wealth of experience in urban issues drawing on their work, not just in Africa but worldwide.

Confirmed key speakers include Prof. Alexandre Frediani (DPU), Dr. Annie Wilkinson (IDS), Dr. Andrea Rigon (DPU), Dr. Adriana Allen (DPU), Dr Joseph Macarthy (Njala University/SLURC), Braima Koroma (Njala University/SLURC) and SLURC's own researchers.

A high-level delegation from University College London including the Vice Provost will attend the conference.

This event is part of Bartlett 100, a year-long celebration in 2019 to mark 100 years since the naming of the faculty. Find out more.