National Policies on Urban Development and Local Government

The Cities Alliance supports its partners to develop and enhance national policy frameworks that address urban development needs and enable local governments to close the policy and investment gaps for basic services, particularly in slums.

A national enabling policy framework—one that supports urban poverty reduction and promotes the role of cities in sustainable development—is a key step to responding adequately to the challenges and opportunities of urbanisation.

Such a policy can provide the structure for coordination among ministries to ensure a multisectoral approach for cities. It can also support cooperation between national and local governments to allocate the necessary resources for public and private interventions.

For example, the Cities Alliance has supported various national fora for consultation and awareness-raising. These fora help generate the necessary support and commitment from national and local governments, civil society and other development partners to jointly develop a coherent response in cities.