CITIES: A helping hand for the urban poor Involve communities
specially in informal settlements JOHANNESBURG, 6 September 2012
(IRIN) - With more than half the world now living in urban
centres, city residents’ quality of life, vulnerability to
natural hazards and diets are matters of growing importance,
drawing significant attention at the World Urban Forum in
Naples, Italy, this week. Two major studies launched to coincide
with the Forum explore these issues. Both focus on the role of
local governments and community initiatives in shaping
sustainable policies for poor urban dwellers: Growing Greener
Cities in Africa , a report from the UN Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO); and the Making Cities Resilient Report 2012
, produced by the London-based International Institute for
Environment and Development (IIED) for the UN Office for
Disaster Reduction (UNISDR). Improving urban food production
Food, its production, supply and sale are rarely considered when
designing, planning and managing cities, said FA