Urban

Cities that work for people and planet: we focus on urban poverty and urban environmental issues, including rural-urban linkages, urban risk and urban crises, health, water and sanitation, inclusion, gender and disability, and shelter and basic services. We work with in-country partners to promote equitable, inclusive, sustainable and resilient urban development.

Urban poverty

How IIED is working to reduce urban poverty and to change misleading views about urbanisation. More in this collection

Langrug informal settlement, South Africa, May 2014 (Photo: Diana Mitlin/IIED)
Project
Geographic patterns are seen out the window of an airplane traveling between Mwanza and Dar Es Salam, Tanzania on March 20, 2015 (Photo: Brian Sokol/Panos Pictures)
Long read
Air balloon photograph of children while mapping Mathare informal settlement, Nairobi.
Long read

Urban risk and urban crises responses

How IIED is working to understand and reduce climate change vulnerability in urban areas. More in this collection

Woman washing dishes in a bowl outside.
Project
Long read
A street in Beirut.
Article

Urbanisation and rural-urban linkages

Projects and articles about urbanisation and the links between rural and urban areas More in this collection

A soup stall in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Many of the urban poor rely on frequent food purchases, often cooked food prepared by street vendors (stefans_box, Creative Commons via Flickr)
Project
Informal food vendors in Mathare, Nairobi. Understanding food consumption and how food systems work is essential to support food security (Photo: Cecilia Tacoli/IIED)
Project
A view of Karachi from the film Karachi Rising (Image: Arif Hasan)
Project