Nina Meghji
I’m a freelance researcher, writer and editor and youth specialist with an MA in Education, Gender and International Development.
Location London, United Kingdom
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@AndreaKlingel thank you for your informative response. This is really helpful.
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Nina Meghji replied to Nina Meghji
@LolaL The potential job opportunities related to the cable car system and its maintenance is a really valuable point.
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Nina Meghji replied to Nina Meghji
@RaimundoLobato these are two excellent points. Freetown City Council's latest report indicates that informal settlers and hillside residents are among the intended beneficiaries so it would be interesting to know more about the initial plan and to find out the results of the feasibility study.
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Nina Meghji made a comment
Understanding the causes and consequences of a range of urban issues, and the way in which they intersect and impact on poorer residents has been extremely insightful and valuable. Prior to this course I had been following closely the development of Freetown City Council’s Transform Freetown agenda. This course has equipped me with a more informed perspective...
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Nina Meghji made a comment
Freetown City Council is looking into the feasibility of developing a cable car system to address urban mobility in the city as part of Transform Freetown. Mi Teleférico in La Paz, Bolivia and Metrocable in Medellín, Colombia are considered innovative modes of urban transport in Latin America. Would a cable car system improve access for people living in...
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@AndreaKlingel In the article above it says "from the 1920s onwards, in some areas of Nairobi, the colonial administration granted Temporary Occupancy Licenses as a way to prevent Africans from owning land permanently." I wondered if, as in Nairobi, Sierra Leoneans were also prevented from owning land in this way, by the colonial administration.
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Nina Meghji made a comment
The political underpinnings of infrastructure – that it “is never neutral [and] seek[s] to benefit particular groups, populations, politicians or chosen pathways for a city or region” is a valuable point. I am keen to understand more about “colonial spaces” and infrastructure too.
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Nina Meghji made a comment
The multiple and intersecting risks for people living in informal settlements has caused me to reflect on a disaster which happened in my own city (London) in 2017. Grenfell (tower) fire disaster (https://justice4grenfell.org) is a grave example of urban risk and its catastrophic impacts. Building materials, which did not meet regulatory standards facilitated...
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@BraimaKoroma thank you for sharing these insights and highlighting the complexities associated with the process of tax reform in Sierra Leone.
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Nina Meghji made a comment
The videos are really excellent, practical examples of participatory planning.
I feel a participatory approach to planning will be vital for the UK’s Covid-19/post-Covid-19 future. A centralised approached will continue to erode trust, hamper growth and foster inequality. The pandemic is an opportunity to build a more inclusive society. -
Sage words from Mr Lahai Koroma and an important message to national and international stakeholders.
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Nina Meghji made a comment
This is really insightful – it would be great to learn more about the technicalities of the savings group process.
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Nina Meghji made a comment
The UK government’s response to Covid-19 and its management of localised outbreaks in towns and cities throughout the UK is currently under scrutiny from city mayors and local councils, who are asking for clarity regarding the enforcement of local measures, better coordination and a diversified response to and within cities. Both the devolution of power and...
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Freetown City Council recently implemented a new property tax system. Is this an example of decentralisation/the devolution of power – from central government to the city council – in Sierra Leone?
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Nina Meghji made a comment
Really valuable insights into the complexities and interconnected realities of Freetown’s informal settlements and the city. Thank you.
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Freetown City Council’s engagement with FEDURP-SL (The Association of Slum Dwellers Federation of Urban and Rural Poor in Sierra Leone) as part of the Transform Freetown – https://fcc.gov.sl/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Transform-Freetown-an-overview.pdf – agenda represents an existing collaborative approach and joint response to urban planning and affordable...
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Nina Meghji made a comment
The links between the informal settlements and formal areas of the city are wide-ranging and diverse.
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Nina Meghji made a comment
In am relieved to know that my understanding of formal and informal – as overlapping, intersecting categories that are problematic and indistinct – seems to be the case. I look forward to reading more about the role and value of the economic activities of informal settlement residents in the wider economy.
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Nina Meghji made a comment
I am a self-employed freelance researcher, writer and editor. My work is classified within the informal sector and I pay tax on my earnings. The goods and services I use and buy on a ‘typical day’ are slightly different within the context, and confines, of lockdown here in the UK (London). I work from home – before lockdown “home” was a local cafe. The goods...
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Nina Meghji replied to Nina Meghji
Thank you Andrea. I will most certainly do that.
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Nina Meghji made a comment
The gentrification of areas in south London – Brixton, close to where I grew up and Peckham, close to where I live now (as well as many other parts of London) – are stark examples of social and spatial injustice in the city. This ‘urban regeneration’ has resulted in high rent prices and fostered the social exclusion of low-income people and people of colour.
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Were ‘Temporary Occupancy Licenses’ a feature of the British colonial administration in Freetown, Sierra Leone? I’m interested in learning more about the proliferation of informal settlements in Freetown.
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Nina Meghji made a comment
As a novice learner of 'urban development', I have already gained a wealth of knowledge in this introductory article. Thank you.
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Nina Meghji made a comment
‘Urban development’ refers to the growth of a city and ‘urban planning’ is the process of designing the urban space to meet the needs of the population.
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Nina Meghji made a comment
Hello, my name is Nina and I’m a (London-based) freelance researcher, writer and editor working across the international development, charitable, publishing and travel sectors. My work focuses on sustainable tourism, urban development, youth skills and employment, gender and inclusion, and human rights, particularly in Sierra Leone and West Africa more...
