Urbanization is an effective engine of economic growth and socio-cultural development. With development activities being sky-rocketed in recent years, the economic, social, cultural and physical landscapes are changing rapidly in both urban and rural areas.

The implications of the mix of urban-rural functions and traits in metropolitan cities and towns are manifold and, thus, critical. The challenges of urbanization include, but not limited to, the areas of human settlement management, environmental sustainability, resilience to disasters, urban poverty, socio-cultural conflicts, and climate change. Urban development and management (UDM), one of the five practice areas of DM WATCH LIMITED, intends to help countries around the world achieve the sustainable goal of making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.