Sustainable service delivery in an increasingly urbanized world: USAID policy

This policy helps lay the foundation for an urban future by assisting governments to build safer and more sustainable cities for the nearly one and a half billion additional people who will reside in cities by 2030. It encourages Missions to support programmes that will improve governance, encourage accountability, and bolster capacity to manage urban service delivery systems, such as compliance with planning, land use, and building codes, especially those that reduce risk of natural disasters and building collapse, to ensure greater public safety in cities.

The policy provides guidelines to help countries and communities improve the delivery of essential services in urban areas. It also seeks to move away from a development approach oriented around an artificial urban-rural dichotomy. It is intended to position USAID to capitalize on an urban future by assisting governments to deliver services in an inclusive, transparent, and sustainable manner.