World Bank Institute:  Urban and Local Government

The City Management and Urban Development program provides city officials with a platform with which to learn and explore in great detail key aspects of urban management. The program consists of core courses targeting city managers, local level policymakers, urban planners and directors of training institutes. The objectives are to advance their knowledge and understanding of the broad range of urban issues and to present the tools they need to plan, manage and govern their cities.

Urban Research Symposium 2005.  Land Development, Urban Policy and Poverty Reduction

This third Symposium focused on Land Development, Poverty Reduction and Urban Policy. Organized jointly with IPEA Brazil, this conference takes a long term perspective of urban development as it relates to poverty reduction and economic growth both at the local and national level. The objectives of the Symposium were to: (i) explore and promote applied urban research on land development and poverty reduction in developing and transition economies; (ii) contribute to a focused urban research agenda to guide collaborative efforts in this area; and (iii) discuss experiences of design and implementation of public policies as well as developmental results of public programs, and foster partnerships among researchers working in these topics.

Urban Forum 2005.  Cities: Grounding the Development Agenda

This year's Urban Forum, March 9-10, focused on the complementarities of urban interventions carried out from various sectors. The linkages between these interventions were explored through selected city panels in which the mayor of the city gave a leadership perspective on how developmental inputs can be effectively integrated. Other highlights included panel discussions on megacities versus secondary cities, and city development strategies as a tool for orchestrating coherent interventions.

Urban Research Symposium 2003.  Urban Development for Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction

This second Urban Research Symposium on “Urban Development for Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction” took a long term, dynamic perspective of urban development as it relates to poverty within urban areas, as well as contributes to economic growth and poverty reduction at the sub-national or national level.  The objectives of the Symposium were:  i) to explore recent and ongoing urban research with policy and operational relevance to economic growth and poverty reduction in developing and transition economies, ii) to devise a well-focused urban research agenda to guide future collaborative efforts in this area, and iii) to continue to foster networking and partnerships among international researchers working on problems of urban poverty.

Urban Research Symposium 2002.  Urban Development For Poverty Reduction: Towards a Research Agenda

The World Bank-sponsored inaugural Urban Research Symposium brought together organizations, networks, and individuals, working at the forefront of research on issues of urban poverty in developing and transition countries. In future years this event might serve as one of the principal international urban research fora. In that context, the symposium aimed to convene some of the world’s leading researchers, international and non-governmental organizations, to share and exchange knowledge.

Urban Forum 2002: Tools, Nuts and Bolts

The Urban Forum 2002 was held April 2-3, 2002 at World Bank headquarters. The Forum focused on providing Bank staff with how-to knowledge and skills in the specific topics of Output-Based Aid, Programmatic Lending, Community-Driven Development, Local Economic Development, and Capacity-Building Tools. In this web site, you will find all presentations, speeches, and breakout sessions, along with additional background information.