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 132 blog posts
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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‘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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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Co-production in urban areas: evolving form, enduring presence
24 October 2018How far can ‘co-production’ improve the lives of the one in seven of the global population living in informal settlements without secure tenure or adequate access to services? Authors of the October 2018 issue of Environment and Urbanization tackle this question by analysing the potentials and shortcomings of co-production
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Transforming aid for urban areas
4 September 2018There is a new way to finance community-driven development, working with local funds set up and managed by grassroots organisations. This can work well at scale with local governments to meet basic needs and reduce urban poverty. David Satterthwaite explains why it’s time external agencies took note of this
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How tackling climate change could tackle inequality
26 June 2018Sarah Colenbrander and Andrew Sudmant report on research showing that cutting greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas will benefit vulnerable residents most
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Kampala sets example for how cities can help refugees
20 June 2018On World Refugee Day Diane Archer looks at how one city in Africa is exploring ways to support its refugee and migrant population
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How Bus Rapid Transit can make housing affordable to low-income households
6 June 2018A paper in the latest issue of the journal Environment and Urbanization explores how affordable public transport – via a Bus Rapid Transit system – can make housing affordable for low-income groups. David Satterthwaite describes how a roll-out of this public transit could work in Mumbai
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Is urban development too complicated for us?
17 May 2018Aid agency staff find it difficult to work in informal settlements. There is little or no data about their residents. For many, there are no maps or street names. There are often complex political struggles that frustrate development projects. But this can be addressed by working with grassroots organisations and federations – as they have the knowledge and it is their needs that aid is meant to be addressing
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Global to local: supporting cities to meet the New Urban Agenda
23 March 2018The New Urban Agenda sets ambitious sustainability objectives for cities of all sizes. At the 9th World Urban Forum, IIED worked with local governments on how to deliver against the wide-ranging goals. Alexandra Norodom reflects on the power of inclusive processes
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Moving past the token 'woman' word
7 March 2018Does having women speakers and representation influence international events' overall focus on gender, and will having a woman at the top of UN-Habitat change how gender is considered in the agency's activities? Or do we still have further to go in integrating gender into events?
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Can one billion people in informal settlements be protected from climate change?
6 March 2018As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change convenes an international scientific conference in Canada this week to explore how to strengthen cities' ability to withstand climate change, David Satterthwaite urges them not to forget the people living in informal settlements
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Providing shelter in East African cities: what works?
22 February 2018Diane Archer introduces a new project that aims to identify the key determinants of access to shelter in East Africa's fast-growing urban areas
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Getting Lebanon’s water flowing: using new SDG data in an urban crisis
19 February 2018Anna Walnycki explains how reliable, disaggregated data on water access – supported by the framework of the SDGs – could help tackle the challenges facing Lebanon's water sector