Nearly half the population of Asia and the Pacific resides in urban areas. As cities continue to be engines of economic growth and offer opportunities for improved welfare, urban populations in the region are expected to overtake those of rural areas by 2022 (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2018). SDG 11, which aims to ensure access to safe housing and affordable transport and to build resilience in cities for all, will only be achieved if urban planning and management efforts are scaled up. These efforts must address the need to convert informal settlements into sustainable and resilient living communities and to bring air-pollution levels to internationally acceptable standards.
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