Background and Principles
The Urban Development Working Group focuses on promoting investment in the development of high-priority infrastructure and services for medium and small-sized cities located along transportation networks, as this will not only accommodate future population growth but also help elevate transportation corridors into economic zones and provide rural areas with greater access to employment and markets.
Under the GMS 2030 Strategy, an integrated development approach will be supported for future urban community planning to create cities that are environmentally friendly, smart, competitive, resilient, safe, and inclusive. Furthermore, this strategic framework promotes connectivity between cities to foster the development of new urban clusters, which will generate economic benefits from urban agglomeration, develop border cities, create linkages with special economic zones and industrial zones, and improve waste and pollution management systems in cities located near rivers and seas in the subregion.
Recent Progress
The Urban Development Working Group is currently advancing several important cross-sectoral and cross-border cooperation projects that cover various development issues and objectives, including trade and investment facilitation, green growth and climate change preparedness, cross-border tourism, and public goods management.
