Urban Development

As the world's largest multilateral financier of urban development, the World Bank works with national and local governments to build more livable, sustainable, and inclusive cities and communities.

BLOG | DECEMBER 11, 2024

World Bank projects are increasingly considering urban heat. Read how in our new blog.
STORY | NOVEMBER 21, 2024

Keys to the City

Smart transport infrastructure and thoughtful urban planning offer a pathway to creating more livable cities.
BLOG | November 20, 2024

We've made significant strides in scaling up urban climate finance, but considerable work still lies ahead.

At a glance

Over half of the world's population now lives in cities, a figure expected to rise to nearly 70% by 2050, posing significant challenges for housing, infrastructure, and climate resilience.

ľ��ӰԺ is addressing these issues by investing $5 billion annually in sustainable urban development, focusing on enhancing planning, strengthening financial systems, promoting territorial development, building climate resilience, and investing in inclusivity.

Overview

Data

Projects

Floods 2024 : N'Djamena��s resilience thanks to preventive measures

N'Djamena: Integrated Flood Control and Urban Resilience Project (PILIER)

The PILIER project focuses on flood control and urban resilience in N'Djamena, Chad. It has cleaned over 250 kilometers of drainage networks and provided high-capacity motor pumps, significantly reducing the impact of the 2024 floods.

Focus Areas

Livable Cities

We are accelerating climate funding to cities to help them decarbonize and adapt to climate change.
Sustainable Cities

Through knowledge, investment and partnerships, we help to build more sustainable cities and communities.
Inclusive Cities

We work worldwide to build more inclusive cities and communities for everyone.

Recent Research

Report Oct 25,2024
Report Oct 21,2024
Report Jul 18,2024
REPORT Apr 14,2024

Blogs

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Experts

Ming Zhang

Global Director, Urban, Resilience and Land Global Department

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News & Events

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Latest Events

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Programs & Partnerships

Sustainable Urban and Regional Development Program (SURGE)

SURGE is a World Bank global umbrella program that supports developing countries to foster green, resilient and inclusive urban and regional development.
Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC)

TDLC is a partnership between the World Bank and the Government of Japan that maximizes the impact of urban development projects by leveraging Japanese and global knowledge, insights, and technical expertise.
The Gap Fund, operationalized by the World Bank and European Investment Bank, helps cities in developing and emerging countries to turn low-carbon, climate-resilient ideas into strategies and finance-ready projects.
Led by the World Bank, the Global Platform for Sustainable Cities is a forum for knowledge sharing and partnership to achieve urban sustainability.
Global Smart City Partnership Program (GSCP)

GSCP supports World Bank teams and cities to integrate data and technology into urban infrastructure and service delivery and provide solutions to achieve a citizen-centric approach.
ľ��ӰԺ's City Creditworthiness Initiative supports local government leaders in building access to long-term financing for investment.
City Planning Labs is a World Bank technical assistance program which aims to enhance the capacity of municipal governments to produce, share, and utilize geospatial data for evidence-led urban planning.