October 2019

Urban newsletter

Greetings from the IIED Human Settlements Group on World Cities Day!

This month we bring you news of our new Environment & Urbanization issue, which focuses on food in cities. You'll also find details below of all our latest project and publication news.

Please do drop us a line if you want to find out anymore about our work.

Best wishes
Alexandra Norodom – Human Settlements Group

Environment & Urbanization

New issue on food in cities out now

The new issue 'getting food on the tables in cities' is out now. Food policy debates have become increasingly sophisticated, reaching beyond a focus on food security and production to questions of quality, nutrition, affordability and inclusiveness. Yet this expansion of knowledge has largely not extended to urban areas. This current issue attempts to fill this gap, with papers addressing the links between urban food and community building, gender, health, livelihoods and, of course, food security.

Editorial: Open access editorial
Full issue: Environment & Urbanization
Policy briefing: The urbanization of food insecurity and malnutrition
Blog: Urban food insecurity and malnutrition are about more than just food

Urban book notes

Did you know that we have a large searchable database of book notes with short summaries of books, papers and reports prepared on all subjects relevant to urban issues. We also welcome short summaries of new urban publications you have read that you found interesting.

Project news

Informal settlements and climate resilience

A C40/Cities Alliance Report explored how upgrading informal settlements can help in achieving climate-resilient, inclusive, and low-carbon development. It identifies 10 particularly promising actions that can advance several SDGs in informal settlements. Findings are grounded in a case study of Mukuru, Nairobi, where the Kenyan affiliate of Slum/Shack Dwellers International (SDI) has secured a commitment from the County Government to conduct a multi-sectoral upgrading intervention.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

We are preparing a chapter on ‘cities, settlements and key infrastructure’ for the IPCC Sixth Assessment, and we will be participating in a scoping meeting for the Synthesis Report. This is a major responsibility to ensure that policymakers are provided with the best available evidence to support more effective and equitable responses to climate change.

New publications & blogs

Briefing: Dismantling barriers to health and wellbeing for Nairobi's refugees

Report: Revealing and strengthening the links between WASH, productivity and wellbeing for informal vendors in Durban, South Africa and Nakuru, Kenya (pdf)

Report: Realising the multiple benefits of climate resilience and inclusive development in informal settlements (pdf)

Blog: Harnessing the power of Zambia's informal food sector

Blog: For street vendors, finding water and toilets isn't just a nuisance, its cutting into earnings

Blog: Tackling widespread hunger in cities means listening to the urban poor

Blog: The rise of Nairobi's concrete tenement jungle

Blog: To stay ahead of climate change, cities need to act now

Blog: Making Indian cities more inclusive means making them more walkable