By Emma Black
Freetown is set to gain a groundbreaking tool for urban development as the Humanitarian Open Street Map Team (HOT) partners with Freetown City Council (FCC) to create detailed 3D maps of the entire city. Launched on April 11, 2025, with funding from GIZ, the three-and-a-half-week initiative led by hot experts Ivan Gayton and Pete Masters promises to revolutionize city planning, waste management, and community empowerment, starting with a focus on upgrading informal settlements.
Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr announced the collaboration with enthusiasm, highlighting its potential to transform Freetown, these 3D maps will be a game-changer for FCC, our partners, and residents, she said during a Monday meeting with HOT, representatives from Slum Dwellers International (SDI), and local groups CODOHSAPA and FEDURP. Initially aimed at supporting informal settlement upgrades, the project expanded to map the entire city, offering a precise digital blueprint for tackling urban challenges.
The mapping process, driven by cutting-edge drone technology, captivated residents in Crab Town, Aberdeen, where the mayor joined teams on Thursday to learn drone operation firsthand. It was thrilling to fly a drone and see Freetown from above, Aki-Sawyerr shared, before passing her skills to local schoolchildren who eagerly participated in the exercise. The hands-on approach is also training 20 young people from informal settlements, FCC, and the Ministry of Lands, equipping them with valuable tech skills for future careers.
The maps will directly support FCC’s ambitious 2025 Sanitation By-Laws, set to roll out alongside a public awareness campaign in the coming weeks. Five newly contracted waste collection companies will rely on the 3D models to optimize routes and improve efficiency, addressing Freetown’s long-standing waste management issues, this is about building a cleaner, smarter city, said Fatmata Kamara, a Crab Town resident, who sees the project as a step toward better living conditions.
Beyond sanitation, the maps will aid urban planning, disaster preparedness, and infrastructure development. Detailed imagery of Freetown’s terrain and buildings will help FCC prioritize upgrades in flood-prone slums and streamline services citywide. It’s like giving the city a digital heartbeat, said HOT’s Pete Masters, emphasizing the maps’ role in data-driven governance.
The project’s success hinges on collaboration. GIZ’s funding secured HOT’s expertise, while the Ministry of Lands fast-tracked drone permits, allowing uninterrupted flights over the next 20 days. Partnerships with SDI, CODOHSAPA, and FEDURP ensure community voices shape the process, particularly in informal settlements where residents often feel overlooked, we’re not just being mapped we’re part of the change, said Abu Sesay, a FEDURP youth leader.
Challenges remain, including ensuring rural communities’ benefit from urban-focused tech and maintaining the maps post-project. FCC plans to integrate the data into a public platform, making it accessible to stakeholders and residents, this isn’t a one-off it’s a foundation for Freetown’s future, Aki-Sawyerr said, hinting at further tech-driven initiatives under her Transform Freetown agenda.