The majority of the world is now urban. Cities are attracting people
because they are centers for economic activity and can offer a higher
quality of life: there are more jobs, more services available, transport
options to move within the city, trade, knowledge exchange, and
connections to other cities and countries. As a result, in 2050, two-thirds
of the world population is expected to live in cities.1

Many countries are looking at their cities as engines for advancing
national growth. Cities alone account for approximately 80% of GDP
generated worldwide.1
As the world continues to urbanize, the highest
concentration of growth is expected to be in Asia and Africa1
, regions
that are home to some of the poorest countries in the world. Inequality
is highest in urban areas – one out of three urban residents in the
developing world lives in a slum.3
Cities are the highest consumers of
energy and responsible for 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.2
Shocks and stresses such as natural disasters and economic crises tend
to hit cities the hardest, as the concentration of people and assets makes
them particularly vulnerable.