Why do we need sustainable urban development?

Urban Population Surpassed Rural Population in the mid-2000s

• Over 4 billion people live in cities.
• Cities account for more than 80 percent of global GDP (McKinsey Global Institute 2011). 
• Cities consume more than two thirds of global energy and account for 70 percent of global emissions (World Bank 2010, p.15; UNFCCC 2017, p.8).
• Cities provide basic infrastructure and services, but often lack the fiscal resources to maintain and expand them.
• Curbing the negative impacts of climate change depends on cities providing sustainable urban infrastructure and services.