A new report from the United Nations Population Fund argues that cities should be planning ahead to handle the expected population boom in urban areas.
"Far from being a disaster, however, the report's authors see this as an opportunity to tackle poverty that would not be possible if the same number of people were dispersed in the countryside. In cities it is easier to provide people with the education, health services, jobs, shelter and family planning that could help slow population growth. The key to making it happen, according to UNFPA, will be properly preparing urban land before people move onto it, and targeting assistance to women."
"The report says cities need to begin embracing these policies right now and abandon the laissez-faire approach that has allowed sprawling slums to develop."
"Cities must begin preparing affordable land for the poor to live on, says the report. By installing crude roads, sanitation, electrical supplies and clean water, cities can forestall the haphazard and uncontrolled growth of shanty towns that blights many urban areas today, especially the world's 20 "megacities" with populations exceeding 10 million."
FULL STORY: Urban boom may improve health for billions
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