More than 900 million people currently live in poor, densely populated urban areas in developing countries. By 2050, an additional 2.6 billion people are expected to live in cities—most of them in the developing world. Urban centers are often ill-prepared to meet the basic needs of rapidly expanding populations, and the poor are the most likely to suffer the consequences.
Our work in Urban Poverty—a special initiative of Global Development—explores ways to help the urban poor strengthen their voices and improve their economic, health, and social opportunities. We’re learning from innovative approaches while supporting efforts that deliver results.
We've made a number of grants to promote real and lasting change for the urban poor, including: