This brief provides an analysis of the quality of life of urban children with disabilities, with a particular focus on slums and informal settlements in rapidly urbanising low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It details the challenges and barriers affecting their health, education, safety and ability to live an independent life, which may be especially severe for children in slums and underserved settlements. The briefing outlines practical and actionable advice for practitioners and policymakers on ways to improve the lives of all urban children with disabilities. While many are not specific to the context of slums and informal settlements, they apply more broadly to making LMIC cities more inclusive of all children with disabilities.

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Five years ago today, we proposed the idea of the Global Alliance – Cities4Children. Our vision: to make cities safer, healthier, more equitable and inclusive for children and youth. 🌍✨

Here’s how far we’ve come:
📌 30 member organisations
📚 10 research papers in the ‘Cities for Children and Youth’ series
🛠️ 160+ resources in our Knowledge Hub for urban practitioners
📝 70+ blogs packed with hashtag#Ideas4Action
🎤 6 public webinars sharing global insights
🌎 3 Cities4Children country chapters in Colombia, Kenya, and Bangladesh
🎤 Advocated for children in cities at major global events
📢 Amplified the voices of Children and young people at international events such as the World Urban Forum
💡 Connected a growing community of practice collaborating to make an impact

A huge thank you to our partners, supporters, and community – together, we are shaping cities where children can thrive!

Girls and young women face distinct challenges in cities and urban contexts – and those living in informal settlements and slums grapple with even greater challenges, shaped by extreme inequities. Over the past 10 years, a plethora of practical guides have been published to support making cities better for girls and women. After reviewing 16 of the key guides on gender-sensitive urban planning – tools, toolkits and handbooks – we selected eight to feature in this brief, based on various criteria. Priority was given to guides that could be applied to informal contexts and the global South. After a short summary of the ways girls and women are excluded from urban planning, design and governance, this brief offers practical, action-oriented guidelines and recommendations drawn from the eight guides.

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