WBI Topics

The Challenge

Urbanization is the defining phenomenon of the 21st century. For the first time in history, more than half the world’s population lives in cities, with 90 percent of urban growth taking place in the developing world. Over the next 20 years, nearly 2 billion new urban residents are expected, while one billion already live in slums.

Urbanization’s unprecedented pace and scale present daunting challenges, while also offering enormous opportunities. Economic prosperity happens mainly in cities, accounting for 70 percent of global GDP. However, only by good planning and management will rapidly growing cities be able to harness this potential, accommodate new urban dwellers, and adequately deliver basic services. Too often those cities bracing for the largest population influxes are the least prepared.

Our Vision

The WBI Urban program equips city leaders, municipal staff, and other practitioners with innovative strategies and tools to maximize the potential benefits of urbanization. We build the leadership skills of mayors and strengthen the technical skills of staff who are on the frontlines of city management.

Cities serve as an integrating space where different sectors converge. This reality, combined with the complex challenges of climate change, globalization, and natural disasters, requires a well-coordinated, multifaceted response. Cities also offer social diversity and attract talented people, providing unique opportunities and the creativity required to meet the challenges of growth and development.

Our Approach

Supporting the World Bank‘s Urban Strategy which addresses the critical needs of cities and local governments, WBI offers four business lines in the Urban sector: 

• Urban planning and land management, focusing on urban land dynamics, planning principles, and geographic tools for managing urban growth through efficient resource mobilization, land management, and service delivery.
• Municipal finance and governance, enhancing capacities of local officials by providing frameworks, methodologies, and advice on policy and governance for municipal financial management.
• Urban service delivery, including sustainable access to safe water, providing affordable housing, and creating acceptable living conditions for the urban poor, particularly in informal settlements.
• Ensuring safe and resilient cities, The program promotes proactive risk management practices and helps local governments assess vulnerabilities, evaluate the effectiveness of current measures, and design sound policies to enhance resilience to natural disasters and adapt to climate change. Our program also focuses on initiatives for developing community-based approaches for urban crime and violence prevention.

WBI offers structured learning, knowledge exchanges, and advisory and capacity-building services to national urban authorities and city managers.

Our Audiences

WBI works with city mayors, municipal managers and staff, urban development practitioners, utility managers, disaster planning staff, and academics in urban studies programs in developing countries.

WBI Brochure: Innovative Solutions for Cities (PDF 406 KB)

Also see these brochure inserts for more information: 

Structured Learning

• Designing and implementing successful utility reform (PDF 160 KB)
• Disaster risk management program (PDF 177 KB)
• Municipal finances (PDF 170 KB)
• Street addressing and the management of cities (PDF 183 KB)
• Sustainable urban land use planning (PDF 159 KB)
• Upgrading informal settlements (PDF 171 KB)
• Urban crime and violence prevention (PDF 183 KB)

Regional/Country Programs

• Successful approaches to national slum upgrading and prevention: recent experiences in 15 countries (PDF 172 KB)
• China: Equipping cities to cope with unprecedented urbanization (PDF 171 KB)
• India: Supporting efforts to scale capacity for managing urban transformation (PDF 186 KB)
• South Africa: Strengthening the South African National Upgrading Support Program (PDF 183 KB)
• South-East Europe: Promoting innovative and sustainable cities (PDF 180 KB)
• Vietnam: Preparing city officials for the country’s rapid urban transformation (PDF 171 KB)