The worlds developing countries will be experiencing massive increases in their urban populations over the 21st century. If managed intelligently and humanely, this growth can pave the way to sustainable development; otherwise, it will favour higher levels of poverty and environmental stress. The outcome depends on decisions being made now.

Introduction * Part I: Urban Transitions * The Demography of the Urban Transition: What We Know and Don t Know * Urbanization, Poverty and Inequity: Is Rural-Urban Migration a Poverty Problem, or Part of the Solution? * Demographic and Urban Transitions in a Global System and Policy Responses * Part II: Shelter and Urban Poverty * Land and Services for the Urban Poor in Rapidly Urbanizing Countries * Informality and Poverty in Latin American Urban Policies * Preparing for Urban Expansion: A Proposed Strategy for Intermediate Cities in Ecuador * Organizations of the Urban Poor and Equitable Urban Development: Process and Product * Part III: The Social and Sustainable Use of Space * Urban Sustainability and Global Environmental Change: Reflections for an Urban Agenda * Risks of Climate Change for Urban Settlements in Low Elevation Coastal Zones * Urbanization and Ecosystems: Current Patterns and Future Implications * Urban Sprawl: A Challenge for Sustainability * Part IV: The Changing Face of Urban Demography and its Challenges * Notes on Urban-Rural Poverty Projections and the Role of Migration * Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality in Urban Settings: New Vulnerabilities and Opportunities * Young People in an Urban World * Urbanization and Ageing in Developing Countries * Confronting Urbanization and the AIDS Epidemic: A Double-Edged Sword * Providing Information for Social Progress in Urban Areas * Part V: Regional Patterns of Urbanization and Linkages to Development * African Urbanization: Recent Trends and Implications * Socioeconomic Heterogeneity in Urban India * The Urban Transition in China: Trends, Consequences and Policy Implications * Urbanization in Latin America and the Caribbean: Experiences and Lessons Learned * Index