In this report, ESCAP explores the future of urbanization in Asia and the Pacific, focusing on the dynamic shifts in the region’s urban landscape. It highlights the region’s demographic transformations, including population ageing, and the persistent challenges of urban poverty and inequality. The analysis covers urban areas of all sizes, …
In academic and policy discourse, urbanisation and cities are currently receiving a great deal of attention, and rightly so. Both have been central to the enormous transformation the world has been going through during the past few centuries. Many parts of the world have experienced and are experiencing an urban …
Municipalities across Europe increasingly acknowledge the need to adapt to climate change and have begun to adopt various measures. Meeting the costs of adaptation measures for climate change is, however, a major challenge. Municipalities have found innovative ways to overcome that challenge and have started implementing measures. These solutions could …
Accurate exposure estimation is essential for seismic risk assessment. Recent rapid urbanization and economic growth in China have led to massive spatiotemporal changes in both the asset value and GDP exposed to seismic hazards. Using available GDP data, the asset value dataset produced by Wu et al (2014a) and spatial …
This report is based on a performance assessment of 20 major Indian cities in terms of the operational effectiveness of the urban services being delivered to its citizens. More importantly, the report assesses the effectiveness of the strategies of 10 cities in a period of one year, which gives an …
Citing an infrastructure project that rendered all of New York city as a Wi-Fi hotspot, the World Economic Forum says public-private partnerships are key to implementing the United Nations’ goals to improve life in cities around the world. When New York City decided to offer public Wi-Fi kiosks on city …
Vijayawada has recorded an alarming depletion in groundwater resources, much to the dismay of the citizens. Groundwater resources in the city used to be accessible at a depth of 25 feet Vijayawada: The falling groundwater level in the city has become a huge problem. The city, which has expanded in …
With population and economic growth around the world pressuring urban mobility, applying big data to understand and combat congestion is crucial to the health and development of our cities. The INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard uses a new methodology to provide a data-rich evaluation of urban travel, traffic health and vibrancy …
Expansion and development of urban areas require acquisition of land, which, in turn, often requires physical relocation of people who own or occupy this land. Land acquisition and resettlement may also be required to improve the lives of the more than 1 billion people who currently live in slums around …
The government of Equatorial Guinea has moved its headquarters from the coastal capital of Malabo to an unfinished city deep in the rainforest. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema aims to use the country's oil wealth to make Djibloho a "city of the future". Security, and safety from any attempt to overthrow …
HYDERABAD: Amravati, the 'blue and green' capital city planned for Andhra Pradesh, and other tier II cities in AP and Telangana can now join a select group of cities that would benefit from the European Union's (EU) expertise on climate change control as the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate …
With millions of people pouring into the region's cities each year, resources are strained and disaster risks are rising. As millions of people pour into East Asia’s cities each year, the region’s governments face the pressing task of easing the enormous strain on resources and infrastructure, and limiting residents’ exposure …
Cities in Africa are growing rapidly and have a critical role to play in their countries’ economic growth. Improving conditions for people and businesses in African cities by aggressively investing in infrastructure and reforming land markets is the key to accelerating economic growth, adding jobs, and improving city competitiveness says …
Now that the Paris Agreement on climate change has been ratified, India must plan on making good on its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Implementing the NDCs will require India to develop innovative policies, legislative and institutional frameworks, mobilize the required resources and find solutions to promote newer, cleaner technologies. Shifting …
The Economic Survey 2016-17, advocates the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI) as an alternative to the various social welfare schemes in an effort to reduce poverty. The survey juxtaposes the benefits and costs of the UBI scheme in the context of the philosophy of the Father of the Nation, …
This policy report reviews the current status of waste management in Myanmar and confirms that it remains at a preliminary stage, attributed to challenges at both the national and city levels resulting from a range of technical, social, economic and institutional constraints. Accordingly, the overall guidance of this report is …
With over 1.24 million deaths and up to 50 million injuries every year on roads – over 90% of which happen in low and middle income countries (LMICs), road safety is now recognized as an urgent global problem often costing such countries between 3-5 % of their annual GDP and …
A new publication released by the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery examines current and future trends in terms of earthquake and flood risks for selected countries across the Europe and Central Asia region. The country profiles model these disaster risks under current conditions and …
Karachi, a city of around 20 million people, is facing a crisis of governance that is reflected in the poor state of service delivery, and unplanned and unsustainable urbanisation. The city’s development shortcomings, and attendant social, economic and environmental challenges, have created vulnerabilities at different scales that are likely to …
This report analyses the challenge of improving access to sanitation in rapidly growing and developing secondary cities. Urban sanitation problems, and reasons for solving them, have changed over time. There are many studies into different financing options, technical solutions, and institutional structures for urban sanitation services and this report does …
This study finds that natural disasters could create extended food supply disruptions in U.S. cities, especially in neighbourhoods with limited food retail options and food insecure populations. The main findings of the report are informed by a comprehensive analysis of food systems in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and New York …
