The challenge of urbanization in Asia is unprecedented—some 1.1 billion people will move to cities in the next 20 years. Cities themselves are the economic powerhouses of nations and are becoming increasingly confident, competent, and self-reliant.

Providing jobs and services to this rapidly expanding urban population, and to improve the livelihood and quality of life for those already in the cities, is a management task of a magnitude never before attempted. And, this has to be achieved without over-stretching the earth’s critical ecosystems, and responding to the impacts of climate change.

Although existing institutional structures are adequate for managing stable or slowly growing cities, the level of change required to improve current living conditions is overwhelming, and already many cities cannot cope. The technology, money, and skills necessary for tackling the challenge of urbanization are available. ...

The international community, too, must find ways to engage more strongly and flexibly with cities, supporting them to establish this enabling approach. The social and environmental costs of failure to manage the Asian urbanization process will be global in scope and unthinkable in magnitude.

ADB hopes that the Managing Asian Cities report will, first, represent a useful management resource, canvassing key issues and pointing managers to appropriate responses to problems; and, second, provide the initial step in a new phase of ADB’s continuing support to Asian cities under its Strategy 2020, focusing with its development partners on overcoming their main constraints to improved management and service delivery.

Visit Managing Asian Cities: Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Solutions Download Page

You can download full publication in PDF format. ISBN 978-971-561-698-0.

Asian Development Bank
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Tel: +632 632 4444
Fax: +632 636 2444
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Asia’s cities are growing at a pace unseen before in human history. They are the engines of the region’s economic development. But as cities expand rapidly into the hinterlands and merge with neighboring city regions, coordination across agencies and jurisdictions becomes more complex, and vital services are at risk.

Table of Contents
Summing it up
Overview: Asia’s urban challenge and how to respond i
PART I
Chapter 1: Asia’s Urban Challenge 2
Chapter 2: Managing Cities as Drivers of the Economy 24
Chapter 3: The broad environmental footprint of Asian cities 42
Chapter 4: Opportunity, Culture, and Innovation 70
Chapter 5: Financial Challenges 86
Chapter 6: Capacity Development 112
Chapter 7: Visions are Lacking 132
PART II
Chapter 1: Improving City Management 140
Chapter 2: Appropriate Coordinating Structures 148
Chapter 3: Effective Financing Responses 166
Chapter 4: A New Focus for Capacity Development and Institutional Strengthening 192
Chapter 5: Promoting Sustainable Economic Growth 206
Chapter 6: Working Toward a Sustainable Environment 224
Chapter 7: Ensuring a Sustainable Society 248
Chapter 8: Development Assistance for Asian Cities in the 21st Century 266

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