State of the World's Cities 2006/7: the Millennium Development Goals and Urban Sustainability: 30 Years of Shaping the Habitat Agenda

The year 2007 will mark a turning point in human history: the world?s urban population will for the first time equal the world?s rural population. But with the concomitant strain this will place upon current urban infrastructures, what does this mean for the state of our cities?especially those experiencing the highest rates of ?in-migration? (influx of people to cities) in the developing world?

Focused on progress towards achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals, this new State of the World?s Cities volume considers a wide range of the issues which affect the lives of (mainly poor) urban dwellers: water and sanitation, shelter, overcrowding, malnutrition, disease, education, employment, and more. Research from UN-HABITAT (the world?s leading authority on human settlements), including new data on the failure to reduce poverty, hunger, child mortality, and HIV/AIDS rates in slums, is discussed and clearly presented in full-color, easy-to-read graphs, boxes, tables, and photos. The scale and distribution of slums worldwide is analyzed, along with progress of key indicators such as tenure, living space, and sanitation, showing regional differences and the impacts of slum conditions on health, employment and security. The final part of the book evaluates the past thirty years of slum and urban policies, showing which pro-poor and governance policies have been effective and what the practical lessons are today for tackling urban poverty. This is indispensable reading for all those involved in urban planning, local governance, and poverty reduction.