Le continent africain se trouve en proie à des mutations majeures qui se déroulent simultanément dans les domains démographique, économique, technologique, environnemental, urbain et sociopolitique. La conjoncture économique est actuellement prometteuse en Afrique, où le dynamisme des villes va de pair avec l’essor des classes moyennes et l’avènement de marchés de consommation conséquents. Toutefois, en dépit d’une croissance d’ensemble non négligeable, ce n’est pas toute l’Afrique qui va bien. Dans les villes, l’expansion très rapide de la population s’accompagne d’une pauvreté massive et de nombreuses autres difficultés sociales. Voilà qui suggère que les trajectoires de développement suivies par les pays africains depuis les lendemains de l’indépendance risquent de ne pas pouvoir satisfaire les aspirations à l’épanouissement et à la prospérité pour tous. Le présent Rapport invite donc à réinventer avec audace, afin d’orienter les transitions en cours dans un sens plus “durable” et en prenant en considération toutes les grandes options possibles. Cela s’impose d’autant plus que les grands enjeux auxquels sont confrontées les villes africaines prennent une dimension plus aiguë du fait de la montée des menaces et des diverses formes de vulnérabilité qui accompagnent les bouleversements du climat et de l’environnement. Egalement disponible en version anglaise.  

The African continent is currently in the midst of simultaneously unfolding and highly significant demographic, economic, technological, environmental, urban and socio-political transitions. Africa’s economic performance is promising, with booming cities supporting growing middle classes and creating sizable consumer markets. But despite significant overall growth, not all of Africa performs well. The continent continues to suffer under very rapid urban growth accompanied by massive urban poverty and many other social problems. These seem to indicate that the development trajectories followed by African nations since post-independence may not be able to deliver on the aspirations of broad based human development and prosperity for all. This report, therefore, argues for a bold re-imagining of prevailing models in order to steer the ongoing transitions towards greater sustainability based on a thorough review of all available options. That is especially the case since the already daunting urban challenges in Africa are now being exacerbated by the new vulnerabilities and threats associated with climate and environmental change. Also available in French Version.  

With an estimate of 87% of the total number of population living in urban areas (a rate higher than that of the Arab States), urbanization is considered one of the key issues facing Lebanon.

The population is distributed unevenly among regions. Around 48% of total number of the population is distributed in Beirut and Mount Lebanon regions alone, whereas only 13.6% live in Bekaa region (the largest governorate in size).

With 80% of its population living in cities, Latin America and the Caribbean is the most urbanized region on the planet. Located here are some of the largest and best-known cities, like Mexico City, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Bogota, Lima and Santiago. The region also boasts hundreds of smaller cities that stand out because of their dynamism and creativity. This edition of State of Latin American and Caribbean cities presents the current situation of the region's urban world, including the demographic, economic, social, environmental, urban and institutional conditions in which cities are developing. Also available in Spanish Version.

This publication evaluates the housing finance mechanism in Chile, with special attention to the issues of affordability, efficiency, effectiveness, and stability. Over the past three decades, the impact of the Chilean government’s social housing policy on the availability and affordability of housing has been substantial, drastically improving access to low and middle-income level households. During the same period there has been a consolidation of the market economy in the country, accompanied by a deep reform of the financial markets, together with more affordable access to long-term credit by households. All this has resulted in the substantial erosion of the historically large housing deficit.  

A much more dynamic construction sector has contributed - complementing an aggressive social housing policy receiving large fiscal support - to a robust supply of new housing in the marketplace. As reflected in available statistics, gains in income levels, combined with easier family access to reasonably priced housing finance in recent decades, has resulted in much improved living conditions for large segments of the population, benefiting households across the income spectrum. One of the objectives of this report is to share the Chilean experience and some of the lessons learned, particularly those that may be replicable in other countries in the developing world.