Cities in transition : World Bank urban and local government strategy - 2000/09/30

Cities in transition : World Bank urban and local government strategy 2000/09/30
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2000/11/10/000094946_00102805334064/Rendered/PDF/multi_page.pdf

The role of national governments is being refocused to facilitate markets, promote economic and social stability, and ensure equity. But reforms of public sector management or private sector development will not do what is desired for national development until they are adapted and implemented appropriately at the municipal level. Local government remains the everyday face of the public sector- the level of government where essential public services are delivered to individuals and businesses, and where policy meets the people.

Poverty has many dimensions, with material deprivation (commonly measured in terms of income or consumption) one important element. But urban poverty often has a broader meaning of cumulative deprivation, characterized by squalid living conditions; risks to life and health from poor sanitation, air pollution, crime and violence, traffic accidents, and natural disasters; and the breakdown of traditional family and community safety nets. Moreover, income inequality is worsening in many urban areas, implying further exclusion of low-income groups from employment opportunities, basic services, political representation, legal and social protections, and amenities. Urban poverty entails a sense of powerlessness, and an individual and community vulnerability, that undermines human potential and social capital. Urban populations are also hit particularly hard by macroeconomic and financial shocks, such as the recent crises in East Asia and Russia, which have forced some households back into poverty.

World Bank Report on Urban Development 09/2000.

The World Bank has no Projects in North America.
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