View article

Poverty and governance are both issues high on the agenda of international agencies as well as of many governments in the South. The interconnections between poverty and governance are also receiving increased attention. But, so far, little research has been done on these issues at the sub-national level, and specifically in relation to urban areas. With the rapid growth of cities in the South, it is clear that poverty can no longer be regarded as predominantly a rural phenomenon. Urban areas account for a steadily growing share of the world’s poor people. Thus it is timely to look at how the governance of the cities in the South affects the prospects and livelihoods of the poor of those cities, and how poor people can use their voice to influence the decisions of city government that affect them.

This book is based on a three-year research project examining the relationship between urban governance and poverty in …