Housing, infrastructure, and public services

Housing, infrastructure and public services form the backbone for rising productivity and living standards in a city. Without significant investments in these to meet the needs of citizens, rapidly growing cities become hotbeds of congestion, crime, and contagious disease. Even minor investments in transport systems, combined with smart regulations, can significantly improve people’s access to jobs and services. At the same time, regulatory changes to reduce the high costs of housing production, and proactive infrastructure provision for urban expansion offer significant potential for housing rapidly growing urban populations.

The content below provides a toolkit of information and resources to help inform policy decisions in this area. Online policy toolkits, policy papers, and policy briefs look at different options for addressing challenges in housing and transport and their trade-offs for policymakers – whether to invest in roads for private cars or public transport systems, for example, or how to make the most of limited resources in providing affordable housing for citizens.