Cities: The New Poverty Frontier

The world's cities are increasingly becoming the new front lines in the fight against poverty.

1 minute read

January 12, 2004, 11:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"Problem or opportunity? That's the question confronting the world's urban planning experts as they grapple with the fact that the planet is about to go through a major shift in population, moving from 47 percent urban in the year 2000 to more than 60 percent urban by 2030... In that time, an extra two billion people will move to the world's urban centers - 500 of which already contain more than one million people. By 2020 more than half the population of developing countries will also live in cities - making them a key frontier in the fight against poverty in the 21st century."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Saturday, January 10, 2004 in The World Bank Group

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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