Urban Matters blog

Urban environments will see the greatest growth and change in coming years. IIED's Urban Matters blog focuses on urban poverty, climate change in cities and rural-urban linkages. It is part of IIED’s hub for research and action to influence policy and practice. Building on our longstanding work on equitable, inclusive, sustainable and resilient urban development, it represents the voices of our staff and partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

222 entries

Condensed housing borders a grassy area which has litter strewn over it.

Keeping urban health on the agenda in the 1980s and 90s

David Satterthwaite
27 September 2023

View of informal housing and vegetation in the background.

Simplified sewerage systems: lessons from Dar es Salaam

Christopher Yap
05 September 2023

City traffic and buildings in Stalinist architecture.

(Mis)adventures in the former Soviet Union with the WHO

David Satterthwaite
21 August 2023

Woman walking a flooded road with piles of trash bags next to her.

Getting attention to urban health issues – or not?

David Satterthwaite
07 August 2023

A boat on a river next to a pile of garbage with buildings in the background.

Climate chasm: the yawning gap between policy and reality

Efadul Huq and Tanzil Shafique
24 July 2023

Aerial view of informal housing.

Locally-led housing action needed to accelerate the UN’s urban SDG

Camila Cociña and Alexandre Apsan Frediani
13 July 2023

View of a city with traditional housing and two skyscraper in the distant background

Asia’s fastest growing cities… and why these are mostly small cities

David Satterthwaite
09 March 2023

A group of people gather around a man seated with a laptop computer and look and point at the screen

Data tales – part three: the technological prowess of the urban poor

Antarin Chakrabarty
07 November 2022

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Condensed housing borders a grassy area which has litter strewn over it.

Keeping urban health on the agenda in the 1980s and 90s

Blog, 27 September 2023

View of informal housing and vegetation in the background.

Simplified sewerage systems: lessons from Dar es Salaam

Blog, 05 September 2023

City traffic and buildings in Stalinist architecture.

(Mis)adventures in the former Soviet Union with the WHO

Blog, 21 August 2023

Woman walking a flooded road with piles of trash bags next to her.

Getting attention to urban health issues – or not?

Blog, 07 August 2023

A boat on a river next to a pile of garbage with buildings in the background.

Climate chasm: the yawning gap between policy and reality

Blog, 24 July 2023

Aerial view of informal housing.

Locally-led housing action needed to accelerate the UN’s urban SDG

Blog, 13 July 2023

View of a city with traditional housing and two skyscraper in the distant background

Asia’s fastest growing cities… and why these are mostly small cities

Blog, 09 March 2023

A group of people gather around a man seated with a laptop computer and look and point at the screen

Data tales – part three: the technological prowess of the urban poor

Blog, 07 November 2022

Map of Cuttack, India

Data tales – part two: the challenge of technology

Blog, 27 October 2022

A view from high up of a city with tower blocks, framed by the sky.

Can global reporting bring about transformation?

Blog, 12 October 2022