Urban Matters
Urban environments will see the greatest growth and change in coming years. IIED's Urban Matters blog focuses on urban poverty, climate change in cities and rural-urban linkages. It is part of IIED’s hub for research and action to influence policy and practice. Building on our longstanding work on equitable, inclusive, sustainable and resilient urban development, it represents the voices of our staff and partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
1 - 25 of 143 blog posts
-
Dealing with COVID-19 in the towns and cities of the global South
27 March 2020Diana Mitlin looks at the particular challenges the COVID-19 outbreak will pose to people living in informal settlements, what steps can be taken to reach the populations in need, and how community organisation networks can be supported to scale up their efforts
-
The world’s fastest growing cities
24 March 2020Which factors determine whether a city makes it onto the list of the world’s fastest growing cities? In the latest in a series focusing on the transition to a predominantly urban world, David Satterthwaite takes a closer look
-
Alternative data sources for cities and communities
12 March 2020In the latest in our series of blogs and interviews focusing on the transition to a predominantly urban world, David Satterthwaite looks at community-driven data collection and mapping
-
Cartel or chemist?
27 February 2020Could tapping into the informal services in Nairobi’s Mukuru slum be the answer to better health, schools and water provision?
-
Coronavirus threat looms large for low-income cities
26 February 2020Weak infrastructure would leave urban settlements in low-income countries highly vulnerable, should the rapid spread of COVID-19 continue
-
Invisiblising cities: the obsession with national statistics and international comparisons
25 February 2020David Satterthwaite discusses the vast gaps in city data, and explains why planning, governing and servicing cities calls for data that is broken down into city and sub-city level
-
Urban poor community voices take to the stage at the World Urban Forum
19 February 2020Stories from urban poor communities inspired international audiences at the 10th World Urban Forum
-
Which cities went up or down the ranking of the world’s largest cities?
12 February 2020IIED senior fellow David Satterthwaite is curating a series of blogs and interviews on global urban change. In this blog he looks at rapidly growing cities that moved into the list of the top 100 cities, and those that fell off the bottom of the list
-
City leaders need to rise to the climate change challenge
8 February 2020City leaders from around the world are meeting in Abu Dhabi for the 10th World Urban Forum on sustainable urbanisation (8-13 February). IIED director Andrew Norton and Maimunah Mohd Sharif, executive director of UN-Habitat, highlight the need for leaders to work with residents of informal settlements in order to prepare for the impacts of climate change
-
Climate activism and cities: a shared agenda
7 February 2020In the second blog in our series considering the role social movements play in promoting climate action, Anna Walnycki reflects on where the climate movement and inclusive cities agenda meet, and why climate activists should look South to learn from long-standing urban community actors
-
Continuity and change in the world’s 20 largest cities
31 January 2020David Satterthwaite looks at changes in the rankings for the world's largest cities, revealing which cities have surged up the top 20, and which have fallen
-
The world's 100 largest cities from 1800 to 2020, and beyond
16 January 2020In the first of a new blog series, IIED senior fellow David Satterthwaite looks at the world’s 100 largest cities, and how their changing distribution reflects social, political and economic shifts across the globe
-
Planning for reality in one of Nairobi’s largest ‘slums’
4 December 2019High levels of participation and a readiness to reconsider conventional approaches have led to promising plans to upgrade the Mukuru informal settlement in Nairobi
-
Urban food insecurity and malnutrition are about more than just food
16 October 2019Food insecurity, malnutrition and obesity are increasingly becoming urban issues, affecting the health of millions of children and adults. The new issue of Environment & Urbanization looks at the wider context of urban food and nutrition security and the challenges for policymakers
-
Mozambique case study shows that poverty is about much more than income
29 August 2019Poverty is often defined by assessing income. But guest bloggers Sam Jones and Inge Tvedten say that using a wider lens can help to understand the social and political mechanisms that help to create and reproduce poverty
-
For street vendors, finding water and toilets isn’t just a nuisance, it’s cutting into earnings
12 August 2019Guest blogger Carlin Carr argues that providing street vendors access to safe, clean water, sanitation, and hygiene resources benefits not just sellers but the wider community
-
Tackling widespread hunger in cities means listening to the urban poor
5 August 2019As urban food insecurity attracts growing interest in policy debates, Cecilia Tacoli makes the case for ensuring that the views of poor urban residents both inform and shape solutions.
-
The rise of Nairobi’s concrete tenement jungle
31 July 2019Guest blogger Baraka Mwau describes how the transition to ‘low-cost’ rental housing in Nairobi is unfolding
-
Making Indian cities inclusive means making them more walkable
5 June 2019Walking, cycling and using public transport are the main ways of getting around Indian cities. But as India's cities expand and car ownership increases, pedestrians are being marginalised – and their safety is being put at risk
-
To stay ahead of climate change, cities need to act now
4 June 2019How can cities in low- and middle-income countries address climate change risks? IIED's David Satterthwaite looks at the challenges facing city governments across the world
-
‘Participatory’ adaptation plans aren’t working for migrants in cities
9 May 2019A paper in the latest issue of the journal Environment and Urbanization highlights how urban plans for adapting to climate change often leave out migrant populations living in informal settlements. Guest bloggers Eric Chu and Kavya Michael call for a rethink.
-
Unsmart, unsafe cities for informal workers: effective policy change will need better data
5 April 2019How can urban health policy be effective when the data on residents’ and workers’ leading causes of premature death, illness and injury is inadequate? A new project with partners in India seeks to fill the data gaps and support informal workers’ well-being
-
The challenge of finding money to build shelter in Mogadishu’s informal settlements
28 January 2019Housing development in Mogadishu is overlooking and excluding its largest potential customer base: the poor
-
African cities can raise more money. Kenya and South Africa offer useful lessons
31 October 2018Africa's cities are expanding at an unprecedented rate. Sarah Colenbrander and Ian Palmer highlight research that shows how Africa's national governments can support cities and unlock vital investment.
-
The Ethiopian informal settlement jigsaw puzzle: an opportunity to re-sort the pieces?
25 October 2018Informal settlements are increasingly housing Ethiopia’s growing population – laying bare gaps in policy that must be addressed