Housing, infrastructure, and public services
Cities that Work provides evidence-based resources to support urban planning in developing cities, focusing on improving housing, transport, informal settlements, and waste management through coordinated infrastructure, inclusive services, and proactive land use. With policy briefs, case studies, and planning tools, the resources below help governments design more livable, productive cities by bridging research and practical policymaking.
Housing, transport 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 centres of congestion, crime, and contagious disease.
Below are three areas of focus for Cities that Work, with relevant policy toolkits and resources for urban policymakers in developing countries.
Housing and informal settlements
Constraints to formal housing provision and unsuitable regulations have contributed to the proliferation of informal settlements. 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 below publications examine policy options for informal settlements and steps to be taken to prevent informality in the future.
Transport
Transport connects the city. If people and goods are unable to move easily across a city, workers may not access job opportunities that best match their skills, firms get locked into small-scale unproductive activities, and citizens cannot access basic goods and services. Policymakers face difficult trade-offs in improving systems of mobility, both in addressing growing demands for private transport, and in investing in public transport links and integrating this with existing informal providers.
Water and waste management
Adequate water and waste management services ensure that urban centres become healthier and more sustainable places to live. For many cities, improving these services will mean addressing long-term financial, behavioural, and institutional challenges.
