Urban

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

Also related to

Urban development

Urban Matters blog

Informal settlements (slums)

Informal settlement in Manila, Philippines on the water.

CBA20: Local solutions inspiring global action

Event on 11 May 2026

Drawing of a group of people standing and watching one person fix a sign on a building.

Socio-technical practices for just cities: E&U special issue celebration

Event on 23 February 2026

Woman pumping water into a plastic canister. She is wearing a traditional saree.

Strengthening urban resilience through collaboration: lessons from India, Kenya, Myanmar and the Philippines

08 December 2025

Woman sitting on a balcony wearing a face mask. Behind here, an informal neighbourhood of houses can be seen.

Five years on: how Brazil’s Zero Eviction Campaign is driving policy change for housing justice

Camila Cociña and Fernanda Moreira
06 November 2025

Group of men standing and talking in front of a building.

Bridging the gap between local, organised communities and city government

Sheela Patel and Celine d’Cruz
10 December 2025

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

Preview of 22732iied.pdf

Unlocking urban climate finance: barriers and progress in African cities

Preview of 22731iied.pdf

Drought’s inequalities: towards inclusive climate adaptation in Zambia

Preview of 22726iied.pdf

Engaging young people from informal settlements in housing and urban governance

Preview of 22715iied.pdf

From nature-based solutions to naturing infrastructure: towards a care-centred approach

Preview of 22714iied.pdf

From capacity to capability: urban living labs as a route to gain influence

Preview of 22713iied.pdf

From power to influence: counter-mapping for urban living labs

Preview of 22706iied.pdf

Connecting tenure security and climate resilience in sub-Saharan Africa

Preview of 22697iied.pdf

Heat impacts on informal settlements

Preview of 22693iied.pdf

Why collective organisations matter for resilience

614 entries

People building a wall out of disused tyres.

Tegucigalpa: From climate change adaptation to mitigation strategies in informal urban settlements

Article, 14 February 2024

Aerial view of a densely populated slum area with numerous buildings and a river flowing through it.

Building low-carbon resilience into Freetown’s future

Article, 14 February 2024

A close-up view of a building, with an abundance of windows, washing hanging from balconies and TV dishes shown outside the densely packed apartments.

São Paulo: how social movements are advancing housing rights while decarbonising the city

Article, 14 February 2024

A group of people forming a line, handing bags of garbage to each other.

San José: ecoins – promoting the circular economy and decarbonisation through public-private partnerships

Article, 14 February 2024

A garden area with a structure with vegetation on its roof.

Green infrastructure for heat reduction in San Salvador

Article, 14 February 2024

Aerial view of an city with the sea in the background.

Rethinking urbanisation and economic development

Insight, 05 February 2024

A man standing beside a garbage cart and holding a big sack. The cart has a flag of Brazil and a sign saying "collective collection" on Portuguese.

Supporting waste pickers in Brazil’s cities: what’s needed and what needs to change?

Insight, 18 January 2024

Garbage collects in a stream under a bridge. In the background, cars are parked in front of shops and homes.

Mapping Brazilian waste pickers’ risks and their responses to climate change

Insight, 04 January 2024

A diverse crowd of individuals congregated in a park, engaging in various activities.

Abandoned no more: Mumbai's new park on previously disused land

Insight, 18 December 2023

A woman bends over looking at goats.

Is the international community failing urban refugees and how do we fix this?

Insight, 07 December 2023