There is growing evidence that financially inclusive countries are more financially stable and exhibit better micro- and macro-economic conditions conducive to financial well-being of individual consumers. In order to produce significant economic and societal benefits, financial inclusion needs...

This technical note is intended to assist policymakers and regulators seeking to establish a financial consumer protection supervision department (FCPSD) within the main financial regulatory body of a country. Concrete, practical information and lessons are drawn from the experiences of five...

A large literature documents the positive influence of a city's skill structure on its rate of economic growth. By contrast, the effect of a city's age structure on its economic growth has been a hitherto largely neglected area of research. This paper hypothesizes that cities with more...

Infant mortality among Hindus is higher than among Muslims in India, and religious differences in sanitation practices have been cited as a contributing factor. To explore whether religion itself is associated with differences in sanitation practices, this study compares sanitation practices of...

This book identifies effective strategies to plan, create and manage government and privately-owned public urban spaces, and explores the broad spectrum of ways to govern public spaces and how they can be financially sustainable assets. The book consists of three Parts. Part I explores the...

Much of the world's built environment is found in urban areas, and cities are thought to be responsible for up to 70 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and up to 80 percent of primary energy demand. Most of the energy consumed in the world fuels urban industry, powers urban homes...

Cities in the developing world are rapidly expanding, boosting countries' economies, reducing poverty, and fueling global prosperity. But as more people, assets, and economic activity become concentrated in cities, and infrastructure struggles to keep up with rapid growth, the risk posed by...

The Urban Sustainability Framework (USF) is structured in two parts, along with annexes that explore the good practices of specific cities and organizations and the positive results of their initiatives. Part I: Understanding and Achieving Urban Sustainability lays out a process for,...

In the coming decades, climate change will force cities to grapple with new operating conditions to construct and maintain key urban infrastructure. Strategies for covering the costs of climate-resilient upgrades will vary by locale, reflecting differing market, regulatory, and policy...

The report is organized into seven chapters, as follows, with additional text supported by data in the annexes: this first chapter sets out the context for the report, presents the objectives, outlines the methodology and approach, and briefly introduces the scope and organization. Chapter two...