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

Head and shoulders photos of five peple. Text: Podcast episode 20. And Make Change Happen

Can mitigation deliver better cities in the global South? Make Change Happen podcast episode 20

Article, 19 December 2022

Man types in a laptop, in front of a big screen

Data tales – part five: ‘not so smart’ computing?

Insight, 08 December 2022

An aerial view of a refugee camp, with housig stretching over a vast area in the desert.

Life much tougher for refugees living in camps rather than cities

Press release, 06 December 2022

Houses can be seen inside a sealed, glass bottle on its side.

Wellbeing in refugee camps: life inside a bottle

Insight, 06 December 2022

Four men siting on a wall looking at a landscape

Mental health, wellbeing and sense of hope among vulnerable Afghans plummeted in wake of Taliban takeover

Press release, 28 November 2022

Men and women gathered to look at a laptop

Data tales – part four: combining community skills and computer power to tackle the climate crisis

Insight, 28 November 2022

Informal housing

Interviews: co-creating pathways to urban equality

Article, 23 November 2022

Informal housing built on a hill

Cities for refugees: places of economic productivity, participation and wellbeing

Event on 06 December 2022

A series of rainbow flags outside a building.

Heteronormativity in the development sector: where are we now?

Event on 08 December 2022

Five people posing with signs that read "gentrificado"

What does queer have to do with it?

Active Project