Cities as engines of economic growth: the case for providing basic infrastructure and services in urban areas

Working paper
, 31 pages
PDF (506.7 KB)
10801IIED.pdf
Language:
English
Published: September 2016
ISBN: 9781784314057
Product code:10801IIED

Urbanisation offers substantial opportunities to reduce poverty, in part because it is more cost-effective to meet many basic needs in cities than in rural areas.

This paper demonstrates that providing electricity to the 200 million urban residents who currently lack access would require only US$1.37 billion per year to 2045. Generating this electricity from low-carbon options (consistent with avoiding a 2°C temperature rise) would cost only one per cent more.

This demonstrates that relatively small amounts of resources need to be mobilised to deliver basic services and infrastructure to the urban poor – an essential precursor to inclusive and sustained economic growth.

Cite this publication

Colenbrander, S. (2016). Cities as engines of economic growth: the case for providing basic infrastructure and services in urban areas. .
Available at https://www.iied.org/10801iied