Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

Rogier van den Berg, architect and urban planner focused on low-carbon city design. Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown and C40 co-chair driving urban resilience and tree-planting. They talk about redesigning streets for walkability and public transport. They explore nature-based solutions, retrofitting buildings for cooling, managing water and informal settlements, and shifting transport and fuel choices.

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, the dynamic Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, transformed her city after tumultuous periods of civil war and Ebola. In this inspiring talk, she discusses harnessing frustration as a catalyst for dramatic change. Aki-Sawyerr shares her journey of tackling environmental decline and sanitation issues through community engagement and innovative solutions. She emphasizes the power of dissatisfaction, encouraging listeners to turn their frustrations into proactive efforts, like a notable tree-planting initiative, for a sustainable future.