National policy options for managing the impact of urbanisation on green growth

ASEAN countries are becoming ever more urban – by 2050, 65% of the region’s population (over 500 million people) are expected to be living in urban areas. Poorly managed and unsustainable urban development will have many negative economic, environmental and social implications for the region. This chapter focuses on three specific urban challenges with serious implications for national green growth: 1) air pollution from urban transport 2) vulnerability to climate change and 3) the growth of informal settlements. It argues that national leadership is needed to make sure urban action is effective and consistent with national green growth objectives. This includes improving national-local policy coherence and building local capacity.