Urban Issues

ā€œThe future I want for my childā€: how climate action can transform children’s health in cities

Parents in Nairobi tell their stories about how climate change and air pollution are affecting the health of their children – and share their vision for a healthier, cleaner future. Children are particularly vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change, including the effects of heat and air pollution. African cities, including Nairobi, are facing Read more →

Ask an Expert: David Satterthwaite – ā€œI’d invite politicians and aid agency staff to walk with SDI affiliates through slumsā€

In the latest from our Ask an Expert series, we sit down with David Satterthwaite to hear more about his vast years of experience in the urban and environment space. David’s impressive research and writing has been cited more than 32,000 times.Ā Ā  We would love to hear about your journey into urban planning and poverty Read more →

Why child-friendly urban design matters

If current trends continue, the future of humankind is in cities, and urban childhoods are set to become the global norm. Yet, as they grow, few cities work well for their inhabitants.Ā Too many – in high-, middle- and low-income countries – are polluted, car-dominated and inequitable. How might we improve the built form of cities Read more →

How to a run a successful online art competition for young people

There are plenty of benefits to engaging young people in contests and competitions. They provide space for creativity and for those who rarely have a voice to share personal reflections and knowledge.Ā  But running a contest with input from young people across the world, spanning language and cultural barriers, isn’t always straightforward. Here’s what ICLEI Read more →

Are hunger and child malnutrition increasingly becoming ‘urban problems?’

After decades of decline, global hunger and malnutrition are increasing. While on average urban children tend to fare better than rural children, one in three stunted children lives in the city. While obesity – the ā€˜other face’ of malnutrition – affects mostly adult urban residents, it also impacts urban children. The second Sustainable Development Goal Read more →

Cities4Children: 2021 in review

Global Alliance - Cities 4 Children 2021 in review

Launched at the World Urban Forum in 2020, the Global Alliance – Cities4Children was established to tackle the huge challenges and numerous issues faced by children living in urban areas, especially the most marginalized. The Alliance brings together a range of organisations from INGOs, UN agencies, private sector, academia, foundations and people’s movements – all Read more →