Cities Alliance 2008 Annual Report

Since its launch in 1999, the members of the
Cities Alliance have been remarkably constant
in retaining the organisation’s focus on the issues
of slums, and cities. In this period, the Cities
Alliance has supported a range of city and national
governments in their attempts to undertake citywide
and nationwide slum upgrading, reduce urban poverty,
and improve the long-term sustainability of their
cities, large and small. Some have been very successful,
while many will need ongoing, and consistent,
support. These are long-term, difficult development
challenges, requiring sustained interventions, as well
as tenacity and innovation, over time.

The past year provides an excellent example of
just how rapidly new developmental challenges can
emerge, capturing the headlines and attention of international
development agencies, providing us with
yet another reminder how short-term crises and longterm
solutions continue to collide.