Towards a More Equal City: Framing the Challenges and Opportunities

This executive summary introduces a World Resources Report framework for creating more equal, productive, and sustainable cities, focusing specifically on 'struggling' and 'emerging' cities in the Global South. It identifies critical challenges in urban population growth and service delivery, proposing that equitable access to core services—housing, water, energy, and transportation—can serve as a catalyst for broader urban transformation.

• The world is experiencing an unprecedented rate of urban population growth, with approximately 2.5 billion more people expected to live in cities by 2050. Over 90 percent of this increase is projected to occur in Asia and Africa, with 52 percent of the total urban population residing in Asia and 21 percent in Africa by mid-century. Additionally, about 40 percent of this growth is expected in cities with current populations between 1 and 5 million.
• Urbanization is increasingly occurring in low-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where growth has often been paired with economic stagnation. A rising proportion of the global poor now live in urban areas, and cities in the Global South typically possess the fewest financial resources per capita to address these needs. Consequently, up to 70 percent of residents in the Global South are under-served, lacking one or more core services: energy, transportation, housing, or water and sanitation.
• The report introduces a framework categorizing cities into four types based on projected population growth and economic productivity between 2015 and 2030: struggling, emerging, thriving, and stabilizing. 'Struggling' cities are characterized by population growth that outpaces economic growth, while 'emerging' cities see economic growth exceeding population growth. The report focuses on these two categories to explore how equitable access to core services can alter their development trajectories.
• Case studies of Medellín, Colombia, and Surat, India, suggest that successful urban transformation requires a combination of a strong coalition of change agents with a shared vision, available financial resources, and long-term political commitment. Medellín transformed through imaginative projects like a cable car system for isolated communities and housing policy changes. Surat's transformation was triggered by a plague outbreak, leading to reforms in health care, waste management, and water systems, alongside improved governance and budget processes.

APA

Beard, V. A., Mahendra, A., & Westphal, M. I. (2016). Towards a More Equal City: Framing the Challenges and Opportunities. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/Towards_a_More_Equal_City_Framing_the_Challenges_and_Opportunities_Exec_Summary.pdf

Chicago

Beard, Victoria A., Anjali Mahendra, and Michael I. Westphal. Towards a More Equal City: Framing the Challenges and Opportunities. World Resources Institute, 2016. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/Towards_a_More_Equal_City_Framing_the_Challenges_and_Opportunities_Exec_Summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Beard |first1=Victoria A. |last2=Mahendra |first2=Anjali |last3=Westphal |first3=Michael I. |title=Towards a More Equal City: Framing the Challenges and Opportunities |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=2016 |url=https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/Towards_a_More_Equal_City_Framing_the_Challenges_and_Opportunities_Exec_Summary.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{beard2016towards, author = {Beard, Victoria A. and Mahendra, Anjali and Westphal, Michael I.}, title = {{Towards a More Equal City: Framing the Challenges and Opportunities}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2016}, url = {https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/Towards_a_More_Equal_City_Framing_the_Challenges_and_Opportunities_Exec_Summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }