Towards inclusive cities

CITIES accommodate more people today than they did at any time in history. According to the United Nations' projections, 2.5 billion people will be added to the world's urban population by 2050, with nearly 90 per cent of the increase concentrated in Asia and Africa.

While cities have long been thought to be engines of economic growth, they must also complement this growth with inclusion in mind. With more than 180,000 people moving to cities every day looking to tap into the shared prosperity that urbanisation brings, it is now more important than ever for city authorities to plan for inclusive cities.

Growth can be a double-edged sword: On one hand, it can propel a city to greatness, attracting the crème de la crème and transforming areas into beautiful and scenic urban dwellings for its citizens; on the other, uncontrolled growth can alienate citizens who do not have access to this prosperity, causing a divergence in income and progress.