Urban

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

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Urban development

Urban Matters blog

Informal settlements (slums)

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

A 'green' view of Freetown, with urban buildings in the distance observed over an expanse of trees.

Freetown: pioneering nature-based solutions for sustainable urban development and climate adaptation

24 April 2026

People sit outside under a canopy behind tables with the words "reuse, recycle and reduce".

Youth strategies from informal settlements: harnessing civic media to drive change around urban governance and housing

Camila Cociña and Alexandre Apsan Frediani
18 May 2026

Head and shoulders photos six podcast presenters.

Housing challenges are not solved by forced evictions. What is the way forward? Make Change Happen podcast episode 38

30 April 2026

People walking on the streets on Karachi.

Are international financial institutions becoming disconnected from reality?

Arif Hasan
29 May 2026

A bearded man stands at a podium with a screen behind him.

Urban legend: one man, 50 years, countless seeds of hope

Long read 13 May 2024

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

Preview of 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

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Connecting tenure security and climate resilience in sub-Saharan Africa

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Heat impacts on informal settlements

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Why collective organisations matter for resilience

615 entries

Street with colourful buildings and people standing in the shade. A body of water can be seen in the background.

Housing and equitable cities: bolstering local action for the implementation of SDG 11

Event on 19 July 2023

Aerial view of informal housing surrounded by garbage.

Integrating four urban agendas for climate resilience

Insight, 04 July 2023

Head and shoulders photos of three people alongside the words 'podcast 22 and "Make Change Happen".

Challenging queer erasure in climate action and urban development: Make Change Happen podcast episode 22

Article, 26 June 2023

A street with terraced houses, trees and cars parked in front

How to build resilience: the ‘eco-flat’ at 33 Gauden Road

Insight, 12 June 2023

A city view of Kolkata

City resilience bonds: an idea whose time has come?

Event on 29 June 2023

People standing and walking on a street with informal stalls

COVID-19’s web of impact: rising inequality and intersectional vulnerabilities

Insight, 30 May 2023

A body of water with houses on stilts next to it.

New evidence shows the hidden value of improving housing in informal settlements

News, 16 May 2023

A woman is sowing seeds on the side of the road.

Urbanising the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Insight, 15 May 2023

Urban skyline at night

From low wages to no wages: the changing pattern of inequality in greater Johannesburg

Insight, 02 May 2023

People walking down a market on an unpaved

Trapped in camps or struggling in the city: the realities facing Somali refugee women in Kenya

Insight, 20 April 2023