Story of Change #3 – Community Action Area Planning in Freetown
Setting precedents for inclusive change in informal settlements
In Freetown’s informal settlements, residents have long faced exclusion from urban planning. Mohamed, a youth leader from Cockle Bay, experienced this first-hand—and joined a groundbreaking collaboration to change it.
From 2017 to 2022, ASF-UK partnered with SLURC, FEDURP, and the DPU at UCL to co-develop the Community Action Area Plan (CAAP) process: a community-led planning method that puts local voices at the centre of urban development.
🏙️ Key outcomes include:
✔️ Creation of Freetown’s first two CAAPs, in Cockle Bay and Dworzark
✔️ Development of inclusive planning tools, including the Freetown Community Planning Toolkit
✔️ Recognition of the CAAP approach by city and national authorities
This process trained over 50 community researchers and engaged more than 300 residents—setting new standards for inclusive, bottom-up urban planning across Sierra Leone.
