With a population over one million, Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, faces serious challenges around provision of services, housing and infrastructure, all exacerbated by climate change. Already, a large share of the Freetown population lives in informal settlements and as many as 70 per cent of the city’s residents are employed on an informal basis.
 

In 2015, the Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC) was established to engage with urban challenges in Sierra Leone through research, capacity building and advocacy activities in areas such as health, land, housing and mobility. SLURC has become a platform for dialogue among urban stakeholders to negotiate the future of the city.
 

Urban Transformations in Sierra Leone aims to share SLURC’s journey so far, articulating the key findings generated by its various research projects, while also reflecting on the partnerships it has enabled. By bringing together research from different sectors, the book makes a significant contribution to knowledge on Freetown, and demonstrates the potential of transdisciplinary work.