Some 900 million people live in the cities and towns of the developed world, compared with 3 billion people that live in cities and towns of developing regions. While urban population growth in most developed countries has been leveling off, the cities and towns of the developing world are growing rapidly. Some 95% of global urban population growth between now and 2050 will take place in the cities and towns of the developing world. Around 2.5 billion people will be added to the population of the cities and towns of developing countries during this period, posing enormous challenges of urban management, urban planning, infrastructure development and finance.

Rural to urban migration is driven primarily by migrants’ expectation that this will improve their economic prospects. By and large this expectation is being met. A recent study indicates that the value added per worker is on average four times higher in the non-agriculture sector than in agriculture.

Cities are where people and businesses come together in close proximity and learn from each other. Cities are centers of science, technology, art, learning, culture, commerce, and innovation. Levels of national economic growth are strongly correlated with levels of urbanization. The Asian Development Bank has estimated that East Asia’s urban population produces 92% of its wealth.

But many cities and towns of the developing world face enormous difficulties. Several estimates by multinational institutions have put he “urban infrastructure deficit” in the Asia and the Pacific region alone, at over $60 billion a year. These deficits contribute to endemic traffic congestion, environmental pollution, poor public health and reduced economic performance by businesses that depend on efficient infrastructure.

Among the challenges facing local governments are revitalizing the planning of land use and infrastructure; dealing with inequality, and the persistence of slums; improving the functioning of land markets and resolving land titling issues; reducing environmental risks; developing “green” growth models; improving investment planning and project preparation, and improving municipal finance. Cities must also overcome deficiencies in governance.

National governments also need to become better partners with cities to help them become more technically and financially independent.

Our Urbanization Expertise

We take a multifaceted view of urbanization, providing services that include:

• Urban Development Policy and Strategy
• Local Government Financing Frameworks
• Urban Infrastructure Financing and Policy
• Urban Redevelopment
• Slum Regularization
• Smart Cities

Our Team

Meet the principal(s) that lead our Urbanization assignments: