Spotlight on

A Brighter Future for Agra’s Slums

In Agra, two pilot projects supported by the Cities Alliance have sparked community-led improvements on a citywide scale. The installation of a single toilet triggered the upgrading of an entire settlement, and a walking tour of heritage sites led by youth is attracting many tourists. The pilot projects also led to an inclusive, citywide slum upgrading plan—the first in India.

Spotlight on

Exploring Lessons Learned from a Decade of Slum Upgrading in Brazil

A new publication analyses the different slum upgrading approaches that were undertaken in Brazil over the past ten years at the federal, state and municipal levels. The publication was developed through a partnership among the IDB, the Cities Alliance, the Brazilian Ministry of Cities, and the Caixa Econômica Federal.

Spotlight on

Cities Alliance at the World Urban Forum

The Cities Alliance had a successful week at the sixth World Urban Forum in Naples, Italy 1-7 September 2012. We hosted a popular booth in the Exhibition Hall, a well-attended networking event on Youth and the City, and launched an exciting new publication, Slum Upgrading: Lessons from Brazil.

Street in Nampula, Mozambique. Photo: Mariana Kara Jose/Cities Alliance

Spotlight on

An Urgent Need for Urban Law Reform in Africa

There is an urgent need to promote urban law reform in Sub-Saharan Africa if the continent’s rapidly growing cities are to fulfill their potential for economic growth. At a recent meeting supported by Cities Alliance and the Rockefeller Foundation, a group of urban planning and legal experts agreed to consider a long-term strategy to bring about urban and planning law reform in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Cities Alliance Results

International Recognition of the Role of Cities

The Cities Alliance has supported platforms for policy dialogue that have helped international aid agencies recognise the importance of strengthening the role of cities and city associations.

National CDS and Slum Upgrading Programmes

The Cities Alliance supported policy development that contributed to the formulation of national slum upgrading programmes in South Africa, Vietnam, Chile, Sri Lanka, Brazil and India.

Alliance support catalysed national City Development Strategy (CDS) programmes in the Philippines and South Africa.

E-Newsletter

Cities Alliance Home Page

Cities Alliance in Action

A Model of Participatory Development in Tunisia

A CDS experience in Greater Sfax demonstrates that building active participation is a time-consuming, yet rewarding, process.

Sparking a Transformation of Agra's Slums

Agra, India has used a Cities Alliance grant to develop an inclusive city development strategy and a city-wide slum upgrading plan. More importantly, they have leveraged their grant to secure USD 22 million in additional investments to improve the lives of slum dwellers.