In October 2025, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released a regional report, “Rethinking Urban Governance for Tomorrow’s Cities in Asia-Pacific”. Co-developed with Arup, the report highlights best practices and city-level innovations in Asia-Pacific, showing how collaborative governance approaches help close implementation gaps, boost resilience, and speed up progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Download the report here.
Background
The Asia-Pacific region is home to more than half of the world’s urban population, and this number is expected to reach 3.38 billion by 2050. Governance is a crucial factor in determining whether cities can meet the increasing demand for housing, infrastructure, and services.
The report highlights the significance of urban governance in creating resilient, inclusive, and future-ready cities. It provides insights into urban governance from Bangkok, Beijing, Ahmedabad, and Iloilo, and supports UNDP’s vision for anticipatory, adaptive, and agile governance.
Content
The report analyzes the changing urban landscape in the Asia-Pacific region, highlighting key challenges, trends, and opportunities, with a particular focus on the urban governance system and financing mechanisms.
The report features:
- Cases of reframing governance and urban finance that demonstrate how to plan, fund, and deliver services.
- Practical city examples that show how leadership, data, participation, and innovative finance lead to outcomes for resilience and inclusivity.
- Actionable recommendations on urban finance, project management, climate action, data and digital tools, and participatory budgeting.
The report highlights the significance of urban governance in building future-ready cities and encourages local governments to reevaluate urban governance to promote SDG progress.