Blog article on the complex and multi-dimensional challenges faced by city policy-makers in addressing urban issues at all levels of government.

Mayors from cities across the United States, Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America gathered in New York to launch a global campaign to address rising inequalities and foster inclusive growth in their cities, in their countries and worldwide.

The world cannot resolve today’s development challenges with purely national approaches. We need to complement them with local approaches, too. We live in an era of enormous transformations, in which our traditional political structures and forms of democratic participation must adapt. That means casting a bigger focus than ever on the important role of local power and communities.

This event to be held on 21 June 2016 in Lisbon, Portugal, will discuss the preliminary findings of the OECD project "Resilient Cities" and share cities' experience on enhancing resilience.

Report identifies how cities can become more resilient so that they can absorb, recover and prepare for future shocks (economic, environmental, social & institutional).

Governments should rethink city housing, transport and other urban systems to ensure that fast-growing cities do not become inequality traps, according to a new OECD report showing that a majority of cities have higher levels of inequality than the national average.

Municipal authorities encourage cycling amid fears networks cannot cope with social distancing

London Underground and other locally run services were excluded from previous coronavirus aid packages

Chinese carmaker Geely is investing in German flying taxi start-up Volocopter. Josh Noble discusses China’s interest in this technology and the future of flying taxis wirh the FT’s motor industry correspondent Peter Campbell and global technology correspondent Tim Bradshaw

Contributors: Josh Noble, weekend news editor, Peter Campbell, motor industry correspondent, and Tim Bradshaw, global technology correspondent. Producer: Fiona Symon

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Apple is providing a data set derived from aggregated, anonymized information taken from users of its Maps navigational app, the company announced today. The data is collected as a set of “Mobility Trends Reports,” which are updated daily and provide a look at the change in the number of routing requests made within the Maps […]

Only about 6 percent of the country’s biggest cities are planning for or thinking about autonomous vehicles or self-driving cars in their long-range transportation plans, according to the National League of Cities. What’s even more surprising is that only 3 percent of these cities’ transit plans are even taking into account the impact of ride-hailing companies like […]

1. Coronavirus latest figures: List of 10 worst affected Indian states and cities  Hindustan Times
2. Mint Covid Tracker: Fresh infections, deaths rising faster in India than most countries  Livemint
3. Coronavirus Cases In India Inch Towards 60,000-Mark, 1,981 Deaths: 10 Points  NDTV
4. Govt revises discharge policy for Covid-19 patients: All you need to know  Times of India
5. Coronavirus update: COVID-19 cases in India nears 60,000; over 3,000 fresh cases for third day. State-wise tally  Livemint
6. View Full coverage on Google News

Nikki Spiers, 31, who lives in London, is known for creating social media's viral emoji quizzes. She has posted a new challenge, asking puzzlers to name 20 capital cities using emojis.

Travel website Scenic found 14 old images of various historical landmarks and  says those who can get 11 to 14 right are 'professional grade' in their knowledge of geography.

A new study has found that using delivery drones in dense urban environments might consume more energy than a conventional delivery van due to wind and other factors.

Photographer Ryan Koopmans, 33, spent ten years capturing the views. His pictures showcase the stunning variation in architecture in places like Dubai, Singapore, London, South Africa and Chicago.

Experts at the University of Southampton mapped the global threat using travel data. Experts say millions of Chinese people would have travelled before cities in Hubei province were put into lockdown.

Researchers from The Economist Intelligence Unit looked at the prices of 160 items in 133 cities around the globe including the cost of food, clothing, transport and utility bills.

A ranking of the 100 healthiest cities in the world was drawn up by researchers counting the number of parks, gyms, spas, yoga studios and vegan-option restaurants in each place.

US Attorney General William Barr announced a new slew of sanctions against sanctuary cities, in what he called a 'significant escalation' against obstruction of US immigration laws.

Members of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Border Patrol Tactical Unit will be among the officers deployed to cities to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

Saudi Arabia, which has recorded 1,885 infections and 21 deaths, imposed a 24-hour curfew today in the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, an extension of measures to combat coronavirus.

States and city governments are offering millions in loans and grants to businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. California's IBank is offering up to $50,000 in direct loans and loan guarantees for companies with fewer than 750 employees, while Maryland is granting $100,000 to manufacturers that can quickly pivot to make personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical needs items. Most applications are submitted online and require basic business information as well as proof of how business revenue declined due to COVID-19.This piece will be updated as new information becomes available.Click here fore more BI Prime stories.As the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt the lives and operations of millions of American business owners, more state and local governments are offering

Almost three quarters (74 per cent) of people thought that shutting off hundreds of thousands of people in the way that Wuhan has been isolated in China, would be a 'correct' move by the Government.

A new mobility tool from Apple shows people living in America's hardest-hit coronavirus cities have all but stopped using public transit, are walking far less and are even driving less during the outbreak.

The interactive map tool - called NukeMap - allows people to simulate the damage that could be inflicted if a nuclear bomb was dropped on any major city in the U.S.

The number of people testing positive increased by more than 1,000 over the past 24 hours, reaching 5,823 on Saturday. Pictured: A firefighter disinfects a shopping centre in Tehran.

Famous buildings and structures have switched off their lights to highlight change during Earth Hour, plunging landmarks in Moscow, Sydney and Beijing into complete darkness.

Nikki Spiers, 31, who lives in London, is known for creating social media's viral emoji quizzes. She has posted a new challenge, asking puzzlers to name 20 capital cities using emojis.

A loosening of certain restrictions designed to fire up the flagging economy will be accompanied with a roll-out of revamped social distancing guidelines, particularly on Britain's public transport.

These incredible late 19th century maps offer a glimpse into the urban landscape of America after 1865, post-Civil War, when New York was home to two million and was yet to see widespread electricity.

China has forbidden all cities from erecting towers taller than 500 metres (1,640 feet) except in 'special' circumstances. The construction of those taller than 250 metres (820 feet) will be 'strictly limited'.

Little known Lviv in Ukraine heads up the list of the top ten cities identified by Airbnb as having the highest growth in bookings over the past 12 months.

Budapest came out as the cheapest destination for a city break with an emphasis on museums and theatre, while Prague and Warsaw came second and third according to the Post Office report.

PETER HITCHENS: How is it to be paid for? Oh, everyone says, the Government will pay. But when will it sink in that when we say 'the Government' we mean us?

With an aggregate median download speed of 28.9Mbps, the West Midlands city was quicker than any of its rivals, according to research from RootMetrics.

As citizens residing in megacities, we are no longer connected with farming. This does not have to be so.

Mumbai is closer to finalising its 20-year development plan, from 2014 to 2034. The plan might be hiding more than it reveals, writes Darryl D'Monte.

Some of the most populous cities in the country are the ones that suffer most from liveability issues due to crumbling infrastructure, congestion, pollution and associated problems. Sujaya Rathi, Anantha Lakshmi discuss a potential solution.

A recent study from the Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy shows that Indian cities rest on a weak systemic foundation. Madhavi Rajadhyaksha highlights the key findings from the study to argue for a systemic overhaul of urban India.

The thrust on ‘smart cities’ by PM Narendra Modi has been impossible to miss since he took over the reins. Sujaya Rathi and Shrimoyee Bhattacharya look at critical considerations to be made at the pilot stage of the evolutionary journey towards such urban centres.

The ruling government has allocated 7,060 crores of rupees for development of smart cities, but do our realities allow for westernised ICT-driven smart cities? Darryl D’Monte dwells on what would really make our cities smart, based on deliberations at the second Urban Age conference.

PM Modi's vision of smart cities will remain unrealised till we have environmentally-smart urban centres, equipped to mitigate the severe chronic air pollution levels. But what will it entail? Sarath Guttikunda analyses.

The sulphur content of diesel in India is 350 particles per million, twenty times that of the United States. Diesel exhaust is far more hazardous than petrol exhaust. Yet, diesel cars in Indian cities are rising with the association of automobile manufacturers pushing hard for it. Darryl D'Monte has more.

Generalised policies that draw up uniform plans for cities also end up marginalising millions among the urban poor. Shirish Khare emphasises the need for more inclusive and participatory development if India is to meet the huge urbanisation challenge that lies ahead.

Recently published by the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, The Leapfrog Factor: Clearing the Air in Asian Cities is an excellent reference on a contentious subject. The book looks at pollution caused by transport in our cities and the range of environmental, economic, social and technical solutions available, says Darryl D'Monte.

The failure in India is the major reason why the UN cannot meet the Millennium Development Goal of halving the 2.6 billion in the world without sanitation by 2015. South Asian countries resolve to try harder. Darryl D'Monte reports.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh promised Bengaluru world class infrastructure on the eve of elections in Karnataka, recently. Subramaniam Vincent exposed the farce in a letter to him.

Property prices have gone up over the decades, but Mumbai leases land to private interests at rates as low as Rs.7 per sq.m. In the last three years alone, revenue authorities have on average lost close to Rs.48 crores, estimates Shailesh Gandhi.

The recent Urban Age conference in Mumbai brought much needed focus on the difficulties plaguing cities around the world. Several speakers observed that a democratic deficit is now evident in many of them, and tackling this is key to building a strong future for urban areas. Darryl D'Monte reports.