Sub-Saharan Africa is urbanizing rapidly, but most countries lack appropriate tools to manage their urban growth. This creates both risks and opportunities for prospective land holders, resulting in a tangle of insecure land rights and claims under multiple tenure systems. Recently, innovative land tools have been proposed and implemented to formalize land tenure. It is envisaged that tenure security for land holders will increase and in turn contribute to poverty reduction. This study evaluates such tools in three peri-urban areas in Lusaka (Zambia), Oshakati (Namibia) and Gaborone (Botswana), with a focus on the perspective of the land holders. The author concludes that the tools are to some extent pro-poor, and makes recommendations for further improvements. These innovative land tools are also considered a necessary addition to conventional and administration tools. This study makes valuable reading for academics, policy makers and practitioners within the land administration domain and related disciplines.

Urbanization in Asia is expected to reach 55% by 2030 and 64% by 2050 to constitute 53% of the world's urban population and contribute half the world's gross domestic product. But as cities swell, they also struggle with environmental degradation, traffic congestion, inadequate urban infrastructure, and lack of basic civic services. This manual prepared by Urban Sector Group of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) provides guidelines for conducting rapid urban assessments. It is guided by the Urban Operational Plan 2012-2020 which outlines ADB's support to its members in developing their urban economies through the 3E approach (Economy, Environment, and Equity). It presents a framework providing a context for the city-level 3E tool kits (Tool Kit for Rapid Economic Assessment, Planning, and Development of Cities in Asia; Green City Development Tool Kit; and Enabling Inclusive Cities: Tool Kit for Inclusive Urban Development).

This book explains how learning from past mistakes in urban design can help to enhance sustainable cities and how the principles of Green Urbanism can yield more resilient urban settlements. Environmental design is a fundamental principle in shaping cities. However, environmental challenges like increased resource consumption, water degradation and waste-related issues are among the greatest problems now facing humanity – which is why these issues need to be considered with regard to “smart cities,” either for the development of new urban centers or for the transformation of existing cities. The book not only discusses the importance of integrating sustainability principles in the urban design process, but also demonstrates their application to the development of sustainable cities. As such, the book offers essential information and a source of inspiration for all those who want to build more sustainable cities.

"The aim of the report is to provide a global snapshot of local-level resilience building activities and identify trends in the perceptions and approaches of local governments toward disaster risk reduction, using the Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient developed by the Campaign as a framework. This report also analyses the factors that enable urban disaster risk reduction activities, including how the Campaign has helped improve local knowledge of disaster risk and support capacity building. The report is divided into six chapters, featuring a combination of analysis of cities' resilience activities and short stories from cities on good practice in urban disaster risk reduction. Chapters one and two draw conclusions on the core building blocks and enabling factors for urban resilience and the Campaign's role in driving disaster risk reduction awareness and action. Chapter three identifies key trends in resilience building at local level. Chapter four reviews cities' activities against the Ten Essentials developed by the Campaign. In a look toward the future, Chapter five proposes ideas to measure cities' progress and performance as they embark on a path toward strengthening their resilience to natural hazards and more extreme climatic events. Chapter six covers the conclusions of the Report and offers guidance for the future."--Pg.9.