What Makes a Sustainable City?

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. Cities around the world are implementing
innovative ideas to efficiently manage urbanization. They
are facing challenges head on and placing themselves on a
path toward sustainability. Increasingly, city governments
are becoming empowered administratively and financially to
be able to serve their growing populations, offering good
public transport options, access to clean water, effective
waste management, and other essential basic services. This
booklet of case studies showcases cities in developing
countries that are implementing bold ideas with the
objective of achieving environmental, economic and social
sustainability. In all the stories included, the World Bank
Group has been able to work alongside the cities to help
them meet their goals by offering a number of services.
These case studies show what a wide variety of cities have
achieved in this endeavor, with clear and measurable
results. Cities have responded to the new challenges and
opportunities of rapid urbanization by spurring innovation
to improve services, create jobs, and enhance livability for
future generations.