Urban

Addressing urban environmental issues for cities that work for people and planet

Also related to

Urban development

Urban Matters blog

Informal settlements (slums)

Man selling fruit and vegetable on the busy streets in India.

Closing the data gaps on heat stress and developing strategies for resilience

15 October 2026

Woman pumping water using from a well in Zambia.

Drought unmasks structural failures and systemic inequalities in Mazyopa informal settlement

Marcelle Mardon and Melanie Chirwa
25 August 2026

Image of grafitti of child crying on a building in Favela Metro-Mangueira. The buildings next to it are torn down.

Can people-centred justice stop forced evictions?

Camila Cociña and Paula Sevilla Núñez
09 July 2026

Dandara people's agroecological garden in Recife, Brazil.

Nature for climate in cities: exploring nature-based solutions for informal settlements

April 2025 - April 2027

Make Change Happen episode 39

Living with urban drought: Make Change Happen podcast episode 39

25 August 2026

Various people being interviewed at the World Urban Forum.

How IIED helps young housing activists be heard

Impact story 2 minute read

Related collections

Learn more about focused areas of IIED's urban work

Better cities are possible: achieving resilient, low-carbon and inclusive urban development

A series of articles exploring the critical shifts in governance, policy and action needed to transform informal settlements on a warming planet

The transition to a predominantly urban world

A series of insights and interviews designed to share the experiences of community leaders, professionals, researchers and government from the global South

Urban crises and forced displacement

A programme of work on urban refugees and internally displaced peoples that also supports municipal authorities to respond to crisis and protracted displacement

Housing justice

A programme of work involving research, capacity development, policy advisory and advocacy initiatives that advance housing justice

Publications

View more Urban publications

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Facilitating spaces of association for youth citizenship in India

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Promoting youth participation in urban governance in Nepal

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Nature for climate in cities

Cover image: Youth-led civic media for urban governance Case studies from India and Nepal

Youth-led civic media for urban governance

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Unlocking urban climate finance: barriers and progress in African cities

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Drought’s inequalities: towards inclusive climate adaptation in Zambia

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Engaging young people from informal settlements in housing and urban governance

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From nature-based solutions to naturing infrastructure: towards a care-centred approach

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From capacity to capability: urban living labs as a route to gain influence

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From power to influence: counter-mapping for urban living labs

621 entries

Man selling fruit and vegetable on the busy streets in India.

Closing the data gaps on heat stress and developing strategies for resilience

Article, 15 October 2026

A long-distance view of shacks built on the edge of debris-strewn water.

Cooling cities from the ground up

Active Project

Two indigenous women from Egypt, dressed in traditional clothing, are checking on plants.

Breaking the ‘research aristocracy’: why climate resilience must be co-produced

Insight, 11 September 2026

Woman pumping water using from a well in Zambia.

Drought unmasks structural failures and systemic inequalities in Mazyopa informal settlement

Insight, 25 August 2026

Make Change Happen episode 39

Living with urban drought: Make Change Happen podcast episode 39

Article, 25 August 2026

Various people being interviewed at the World Urban Forum.

How IIED helps young housing activists be heard

Impact story, 10 August 2026

Dandara people's agroecological garden in Recife, Brazil.

Nature for climate in cities: exploring nature-based solutions for informal settlements

Active Project

Image of grafitti of child crying on a building in Favela Metro-Mangueira. The buildings next to it are torn down.

Can people-centred justice stop forced evictions?

Insight, 09 July 2026

People walking on the streets on Karachi.

Are international financial institutions becoming disconnected from reality?

Insight, 29 May 2026

Person standing next to a printed out poster, pointing and speaking. Other people are gathered and listening.

A shared vision, clear actions and a growing community: the next 20 years of locally led adaptation starts now

Insight, 21 May 2026