Washington DC, October 31st 2008—Cities are the drivers of economic expansion, but population growth, migration and other factors such as climate change are exacerbating the problems of city life.

Roughly 10,000 people are attending the World Urban Forum in Nanjing, China next week to determine ways of making city living more harmonious and productive.

How can “heartbreaking” slums become cleaner, kinder, greener places even as more and more people move to cities?

That’s a key question for policy-makers, development practitioners and non-governmental organizations seeking sustainable solutions to urban dilemmas at the World Urban Forum in Nanjing, China, November 3 to 6.