Features Growing Better Cities: Urban Agriculture for Sustainable Development Lessons and recommendations on how urban agriculture could transform cities of the near future. "Expose Urban Solutions!" photo contest People's choice award — the finalists Shaping Livable Cities: Stories of Progress Around the World The stories told here are real-world examples of successful efforts to promote sustainable and equitable development and to make cities better places to live.

In her rooftop garden in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, this woman grows nutritious food for her family. IDRC Photo: Luc Mougeot

Cities: Possibilities and Perils

Cities are engines of economic growth and cultural prosperity, but they are also centres of pollution and poverty. In June 2006, decision-makers from all over the world will gather in Vancouver, British Columbia during the Third World Urban Forum (WUF3) to debate the potential and perils of urban development and propose measures for building healthier cities.

IDRC and its partners will stage five networking events, and a series of related activities, including an international photo competition called "Expose Urban Solutions."

Join us all for a week of hands-on learning, knowledge sharing and networking.

The Urban Century "In 1950, one-third of the world’s people lived in cities. Just 50 years later, this proportion has risen to one-half and will continue to grow to two-thirds, or six billion people, by 2050. Cities are now home to half of humankind." UN-Habitat

• Calendar of Events @ WUF3
  Details of events organized by IDRC and partners.

• IDRC "Live" From WUF3
  A collection of photos and articles chronicling IDRC's participation at the Third World Urban Forum in Vancouver, Canada.

• IDRC Themes for WUF3
  Find out what urban development themes IDRC has been working on and what is planned for the future. 

• 4 Media @ WUF3
  Bios, information, press releases, stories, etc.

• IDRC Partners @ WUF3
  

• IDRC's "Expose Urban Solutions" Photo Contest
  

Shaping Livable Cities: Canada’s IDRC at the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Vancouver 2006-06-15
Cities in the developing world pulse with entrepreneurial spirit and creative energy. Tapping into this collective creativity is something Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) has been doing for more than 35 years. During the third World Urban Forum (WUF3) in Vancouver, Canada, 19-23 June 2006, IDRC and its partners will showcase the many ways people in the developing world are making their cities healthier and safer places to live.

Growing Cities, Growing Food: Unleashing Urban Farming 2006-06
Learn how young researchers are working with governments to promote urban agriculture as a safe, viable way to reduce hunger, create jobs, and enhance the environment.

First Five Focus Cities Selected to Lead Research Projects on Urban Poverty and the Environment 2006-01-11
City Teams in Kampala, Uganda; Dakar, Senegal; Jakarta, Indonesia; Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Moreno, Argentina have been awarded funding of up to CA $1.2 million by IDRC's Urban Poverty and Environment program for innovative projects linking urban poverty alleviation, environmental management, and natural resource use for food, water, and income security.