Towards a More Equal City: Framing the Challenges and Opportunities

The document argues that the current trajectory of urbanization in the Global South—characterized by rapid population growth outpacing economic growth and the 'urbanization of poverty'—risks locking cities into unsustainable patterns. It proposes a new categorization of cities based on economic productivity and population growth, focusing on 'struggling' and 'emerging' cities. The authors contend that providing equitable access to core services (housing, water, sanitation, energy, and transport) is the essential entry point for broader transformative urban change. Using case studies from Medellín and Surat, the paper illustrates how solving a 'seminal problem' can trigger a virtuous cycle of improvement across governance, finance, and planning, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for all residents.

• Urban population growth is shifting toward the Global South, with approximately 90 percent of the projected increase by 2050 expected to occur in Asia and Africa.
• A phenomenon termed the 'urbanization of poverty' is occurring, where a higher proportion of the global poor now reside in urban areas despite an overall decline in global poverty.
• Cities in the Global South, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, face a critical resource gap, possessing the fewest financial resources per capita despite experiencing the highest population growth.
• The authors categorize cities into four types based on GDP per capita and projected growth: 'struggling' (low income, population growth exceeds economic growth), 'emerging' (low income, economic growth exceeds population growth), 'thriving' (high income, high economic growth), and 'stabilizing' (high income, low economic growth).
• Up to 70 percent of residents in Global South cities are under-served, lacking access to one or more core services: housing, water and sanitation, energy, and transportation.
• Poorly planned urban expansion, such as subsidized housing on the periphery, creates 'lock-in' effects that result in expensive commutes, increased air pollution, and higher infrastructure costs.
• Inadequate urban services negatively impact the economy by increasing costs for the informal sector, which accounts for 50 to 80 percent of GDP in Africa.
• Urban service gaps lead to severe environmental degradation, including the pollution of groundwater in cities like Delhi, Karachi, and Lahore due to untreated sewage.
• Transformative urban change is triggered when a coalition of public, private, and civil society agents solves a 'seminal problem,' creating a virtuous cycle of improvement across multiple sectors.
• The transformation of Medellín, Colombia, was driven by 'social urbanism,' which redirected municipal funds from hydroelectric power to the poorest districts to build schools, libraries, and a cable car system.
• Surat, India, achieved urban transformation following a 1994 plague outbreak, which led to decentralized governance, improved waste management, and the use of e-governance for tax collection.

APA

Beard, V. A., Mahendra, A., & Westphal, M. I. (2016). Towards a More Equal City: Framing the Challenges and Opportunities. World Resources Institute. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/WRR_Framing_Paper_Final_Nov4.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://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/WRR_Framing_Paper_Final_Nov4.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://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/WRR_Framing_Paper_Final_Nov4.pdf |access-date=23 October 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://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/WRR_Framing_Paper_Final_Nov4.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }