Community Action Area Planning in Freetown Setting precedents for inclusive change in informal settlements
When: 2017 – 2022 Where: Freetown, Sierra Leone Who was involved: Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC), Federation of the Urban and Rural Poor (FEDURP), Centre for Dialogue on Human Settlement and Poverty Alleviation (CODOHSAPA), and The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, University College London (DPU), with support from the University of Sheffield and London Metropolitan University. Funded by Comic Relief and Knowledge in Action for Urban Equality (KNOW), a GCRF-funded research programme led by UCL. Mohamed is a 35-year-old resident of Cockle Bay, an informal settlement in Freetown. Like many of his neighbours, he faces significant challenges, including unstable income and inadequate living conditions. Since his youth, he has actively participated in various community initiatives aimed at improving these circumstances, ultimately becoming the chairperson of the local Youth Group affiliated with the Federation of the Urban and Rural Poor (FEDURP). Despite his efforts, Mohamed has consistently encountered obstacles in accessing government support, which often hindered rather than facilitated improvements in living conditions in Cockle Bay. Recognising the need for a deeper understanding of urban development and planning processes, he took proactive steps to enhance his knowledge. He contributed as a data collector for FEDURP’s first enumeration in Cockle Bay and later served as a community researcher during the initial pilot of the Community Action Area Plan (CAAP), co-facilitated by ASF-UK.
His journey began in 2017 when FEDURP invited Mohamed to participate in a week-long workshop designed to co-develop a methodology for community-led planning tailored to the local context. Co-led by the Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC), ASF-UK, and the Bartlett Development Planning Unit of University College London (DPU), the workshop aimed to define ‘inclusive neighbourhood planning’ and explore how ASFUK’s existing participatory methods could be adapted for Freetown. The ASF-UK team brought invaluable expertise in community-led planning, enabling participants to test how to tailor existing approaches to local needs and the city’s planning frameworks. A focus on action-based learning ensured that all participants— residents of Cockle Bay and other settlements— could effectively familiarise themselves with essential planning concepts and tools. This collaborative effort resulted in the co-creation of a manifesto for inclusive neighbourhood planning in Freetown and initiated the development of a methodology for future CAAPs.
Community Action Area Planning in Freetown Setting precedents for inclusive change in informal settlements
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