Urban Development

Today, the World Bank with its partners is committed to promoting sustainable cities and towns that fulfill the promise of development for their inhabitants -- in particular, by improving the lives of the poor and promoting equity -- while contributing to the progress of the country as a whole.

As the world is becoming more urban and governments are decentralizing responsibility and authority for governance to localities, closely working with cities and municipalities to address urban development is a timely and urgent World Bank priority. The World Bank’s corporate strategy for urban development is amply discussed in its publication Systems of Cities: Harnessing Urbanization for Growth and Poverty Alleviation.