Useful Links

While we hope you might find the links below of interest, please note the Cities Alliance is not responsible for the content of non-Cities Alliance websites.

Best Practices and Leadership Programme (BPLP) - The Best Practices and Local Leadership Programme (BLP) is a global network of institutions dedicated to the identification and exchange of successful solutions for sustainable development. The BLP partners' network identifies initiatives in such areas as housing, urban development and governance, the environment, economic development, social inclusion, crime prevention, poverty reduction, women, youth, infrastructure and social services.
 
 
The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is responsible for the majority of Canada's international cooperation program. Its mandate is to support sustainable development in order to reduce poverty and help create a more secure, equitable, and prosperous world
 
CDS Indonesia - A knowledge sharing platform for CDS cities in Indonesia. This facility is the response to the growing demand from municipal leaders and practitioners from the nine pilot CDS cities to expand their existing networks, to discuss and share knowledge and, through this dialogue, to develop more effective solutions for urban problems.
 
CityNet - CITYNET is a Network of Local Authorities that Promotes Sustainable Urban Improvement Initiatives in the Asia-Pacific. CITYNET encourages higher standards of innovation in urban environmental management and an unpolluted city environment; seeks to upgrade urban slums, and promote community participation and equitable distribution of resources; envisions improved transportation networks, privatisation of public services, and efficient urban systems; works towards efficient budget allocation, revenue enhancement, and education of city officials on effective financial initiatives.
 
CityStats - CityStats is Brighton and Hove's interactive data catalogue and mapping service, a resource designed to improve access to statistical and service information across the city.
 
The Department for International Development (DFID) - is the part of the UK Government that manages Britain's aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty. It supports long-term programmes to help tackle the underlying causes of poverty. It also responds to emergencies, both natural and man-made.
 
The French Development Agency (AFD - Le Groupe de l'Agence française de Développement) is a financial institution that is at the heart of France’s Development Assistance policy. Its mission is to finance development.
 
Global Urban Observatory (GUO) - GUO addresses the urgent need to improve the world-wide base of urban knowledge by helping Governments, local authorities and organizations of the civil society develop and apply policy-oriented urban indicators, statistics and other urban information. 
 
GTZ Technical Assistance Project "Municipal Development Palestine" - is established to inform the general public on the project, and to provide an interactive forum for discussion and information among all partners involved in project implementation. The public pages provide information on ongoing activities and events, while internal pages provide subject-specific information and for a for project partners involved in specific activities.
 
Infocity - Connecting Cities to Global Knowledge & Resources - A World Bank capacity building initiative for local governments, assists municipal associations in Asia in scaling up their knowledge sharing activities among cities in each country. The initiative takes a new “networking approach” that aims at enabling cities to communicate with each other and to access to global knowledge and resources.
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies - The Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies is an independent international institute offering post-graduate education, research and advisory services in the fields of Housing, Urban Management and Urban Environmental Management.
 
International Association of Development Funds (IADF) - is committed to improve education, training, and coverage of municipal development funds and other specialized financial institutions that lend to local governments throughout the world.
 
International Centre for Sustainable Cities (ICSC) - A partnership between three levels of government, the private sector and civil society organizations. ICSC does practical demonstration projects that show how urban sustainability can be implemented. The demonstrations deal with issues such as solid waste, water, sewage, land-use, transportation, housing, energy efficiency, social conflict and poverty. ICSC also creates and supports peer networks to share learning and disseminate ideas. As well, ICSC engages in high profile events to galvanize action on urban sustainability.
 
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) - ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability was founded in 1990 by local governments at the United Nations Headquarters in New York as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). ICLEI is a democratically governed membership association of cities, towns, counties, metropolitan governments, and local government associations. Its headquarter is located in Toronto, Canada. ICLEI's mission is to build and serve a worldwide movement of local governments to achieve tangible improvements in global sustainability with special focus on environmental conditions through cumulative local actions.
 
Institut des Sciences et des Techniques de l'Equipement et de l'Environnement pour le Développement (ISTED) - A non-profit organization, a platform for study and debate, information and action, at the service of its public and private members in the public works, transport, planning, cities and environment sectors. It facilitates their international activities, primarily in non-OECD countries, optimizes the use of French know-how throughout the world, and helps to implement international programmes with third country leaders.
 
Making Cities Work - Making Cities Work is USAID website and online resource center for urban issues in developing countries and USAID's urban development activities.
 
Melbourne 2030 Planning for sustainable growth - Melbourne 2030, planning for sustainable growth is a 30-year plan to manage growth and change across metropolitan Melbourne and the surrounding region. It emphasises the city’s interdependence with regional Victoria, to provide maximum benefit to the whole State.
 
Metropolis is the World Association of Major Metropolises. Metropolis is also the metropolitan section of the United Cities & Local Government organization (UCLG), which arose from the merger between the IULA and UTO. Its mission is to promote international cooperation and exchanges among members, i.e., local and metropolitan governments. Metropolis is the spokesperson on cities' interests in international forums.
 
Municipal Development Programme (MDP) - Eastern & Southern Africa - The Municipal Development Programme is an active and hands-on capacity building facility with the aim of enabling effective self-governance at local level in Sub-Saharan Africa. It promotes alternative development approaches to problems and issues that affect local authorities by placing emphasis on ownership and direct participation of key stakeholders.
 
 
Municipal Finance Task Force (MFTF) Website - The objective of the Municipal Finance Task Force (MFTF) is to identify ways to increase the flow of domestic long term private capital to developing cities in support of their slum upgrading and city development strategies. The Task Force will serve as a forum for collecting the experience and views of international experts on municipal finance and private capital mobilization.
 
Philippine CDS Network - A knowledge sharing platform for CDS cities in the Philippines. This facility is the response to the growing demand from municipal leaders and practitioners from the seven pilot CDS cities to expand their existing networks, to discuss and share knowledge and, through this dialogue, to develop more effective solutions for urban problems.
 
Public-Private Partnerships for the Urban Environment (PPPUE) - The Public-Private Partnerships for the Urban Environment (PPPUE) programme is UNDP's initiative in support of alleviating poverty through public-private partnerships in poor cities throughout the developing world. The core goal of the programme is to increase the access of the urban poor to basic services such as water, sanitation, solid waste management and energy by promoting inclusive partnerships between local government, business and communities.
 
South African Cities Network - An established network of South African cities and partners that encourages the exchange of information, experience and best practices on urban development and city management.
 
Urbanet - Network for Decentralization and Municipal Development - URBANET promotes the exchange of knowledge and information, interdisciplinary cooperation among actors in municipal and urban development, as well as debate on and conceptual refinement of key issues.
 
United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) is the voice of local government before the United Nations and the international community. In founding this global organisation, mayors and councillors agreed to establish a single voice for cities as a concrete and united response to the challenges of urbanisation and globalisation.
 
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) - is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
 
Urban Institute - The Urban Institute is a nonprofit nonpartisan policy research and educational organization established to examine the social, economic, and governance problems facing the nation. It provides information and analysis to public and private decision makers to help them address these challenges and strives to raise citizen understanding of the issues and tradeoffs in policy making.
 
Urban Management Programme (UMP) - The UMP established in 1986, represents a major effort by UN-HABITAT and UNDP, together with external support agencies, to strengthen the contribution that cities and towns in developing countries make towards economic growth, social development and the alleviation of poverty.
 
Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) - The Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) is an international partnership of the world's leading development agencies concerned with improving sector policies, practices and capacities to serve poor people. The WSP goal is to alleviate poverty by helping the poor gain sustained access to water and sanitation services.
 
World Bank Institute - City Management and Urban Development - provides city officials with a platform with which to learn and explore in great detail key aspects of urban management.
 
World Bank Urban Development - with its partners is committed to promoting sustainable cities and towns that fulfill the promise of development for their inhabitants -- in particular, by improving the lives of the poor and promoting equity -- while contributing to the progress of the country as a whole.