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

Aerial view of informal housing.

Data to drive informal settlement upgrading. Who generates it – and who owns it?

Insight, 03 March 2022

View of a busy street with clothes stalls and shops and people walking.

Research with refugees: taking care not to cut a long story short

Insight, 28 February 2022

An aerial view of Nairobi, with slums in the foreground alongside green space

Tomorrow’s cities: reducing disaster risk for the poor

Active Project

Building split in half

From protector to evictor of slum residents – reversal of roles for the judiciary

Insight, 24 February 2022

A group of people stand around a map on a table.

Kota Kita: facilitating citizen-led urban development

Article, 22 February 2022

View of informal housing by a lake, with a boat in it. In the background modern buildings and skyscrapers

Advancing inclusive and resilient urban development targeted at the urban poor

Archived Project

People sit on the floor in group under cover facing a standing man making a presentation/speech

Building resilience to climate change through slum upgrading – the case of Jaga Mission in Odisha, India

Insight, 07 February 2022

Aerial view of an informal settlement and an urban centre in the background

Rethinking household surveys reveals true picture of health inequality

Insight, 18 January 2022

A woman crouches on the flor next to a stove to make a meal

Multiple housing and climate-related vulnerabilities of informal workers in Indore, India

Insight, 16 December 2021

Busy road with people and motorbikes.

Film exploring the lives of urban refugees wins best documentary at Kenyan film festival

News, 14 December 2021