Urban

Addressing urban environmental issues for cities that work for people and planet

Also related to

Urban development

Urban Matters blog

Informal settlements (slums)

Man selling fruit and vegetable on the busy streets in India.

Closing the data gaps on heat stress and developing strategies for resilience

15 October 2026

Woman pumping water using from a well in Zambia.

Drought unmasks structural failures and systemic inequalities in Mazyopa informal settlement

Marcelle Mardon and Melanie Chirwa
25 August 2026

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

Dandara people's agroecological garden in Recife, Brazil.

Nature for climate in cities: exploring nature-based solutions for informal settlements

April 2025 - April 2027

Make Change Happen episode 39

Living with urban drought: Make Change Happen podcast episode 39

25 August 2026

Various people being interviewed at the World Urban Forum.

How IIED helps young housing activists be heard

Impact story 2 minute read

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

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Facilitating spaces of association for youth citizenship in India

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Promoting youth participation in urban governance in Nepal

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Nature for climate in cities

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

622 entries

Person standing next to a printed out poster, pointing and speaking. Other people are gathered and listening.

A shared vision, clear actions and a growing community: the next 20 years of locally led adaptation starts now

Insight, 21 May 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

Insight, 18 May 2026

Image of the flame towers in downtown Baku, Azerbaijan.

IIED at WUF13

Event on 17 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

Article, 30 April 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

Article, 24 April 2026

A group of women lean over a map laid out on grass outside.

Securing tenure and building resilience: lessons from Harare

Article

Fishers on small boats have their belongings searched while the boats are afloat.

Rights and housing justice for urban small-scale fishing communities

Active Project

Aerial view of downtown Karachi.

Karachi’s housing crisis is about inequality, not just infrastructure

Insight, 23 April 2026

Image of informal settlement in Pakistan showing houses built very close together.

What I have learnt in 50 years of engagement with urban issues

Insight, 18 March 2026

A close-up of charcoal burning in a cooking pot.

Urban heat, gender and cooking in Dar es Salaam's informal settlements

Article, 06 March 2026