Urban

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

Also related to

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

Preview of 22732iied.pdf

Unlocking urban climate finance: barriers and progress in African cities

Preview of 22731iied.pdf

Drought’s inequalities: towards inclusive climate adaptation in Zambia

Preview of 22726iied.pdf

Engaging young people from informal settlements in housing and urban governance

Preview of 22715iied.pdf

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

Preview of 22714iied.pdf

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

Preview of 22713iied.pdf

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

Preview of 22706iied.pdf

Connecting tenure security and climate resilience in sub-Saharan Africa

Preview of 22697iied.pdf

Heat impacts on informal settlements

Preview of 22693iied.pdf

Why collective organisations matter for resilience

615 entries

Grayscale photo of city buildings

Trends in racial inequality in greater Johannesburg

Insight, 17 April 2023

Two women throw garbage in a coloured van

From risks to resilience for informal workers – part three: research to action to address their health priorities

Insight, 03 April 2023

Informal housing piled on a hill

The favela of Rocinha: decades of struggle have led to a rich political – and cultural – landscape

Insight, 22 March 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

Insight, 09 March 2023

People queue in front of a desk

From risks to resilience for informal workers – part two: ‘universal’ access to benefits?

Insight, 22 February 2023

Aerial view of housing with metal roofs, palm trees and a river

Environment & Urbanization Better Cities Day

Event on 16 March 2023

Aerial view of a flooded city with destroyed housing and infrastructure

Connecting decarbonisation and social justice in cities

Active Project

Woman wearing a face mask sits on the floor and handles tools

From risks to resilience for informal workers – part one

Insight, 07 February 2023

A cow and two goats eat grass surrounded by waste. There are houses and people in the background.

Why does so little aid seem to go to basic needs? – part two

Insight, 24 January 2023

Dirt and dirty canal next to a field. Informal buildings in the background

Are basic needs given low priority in most bilateral aid programmes? – part one

Insight, 10 January 2023