Mayor of Freetown on using trees to address heat

The urban forest plays a crucial role in Freetown. Trees stabilize the soil, which helps prevent deadly landslides. They also provide shade and food to residents. Mayor Aki-Sawyerr shares how the #transformfreetown program has been structured to provide employment opportunities to 1,500 residents, via a unique tree tagging system that uses a phone app to monitor tree health. 

This interview was recorded at the 2023 Hixon Urban Conference in New Haven, Connecticut.