Researching the urban dilemma : urbanization, poverty and violence

Agencies such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United Nations and the World Bank continue to privilege national over municipal statistical datasets. The paucity of reliable subnational data and analysis limits theory-building and inhibits the design, implementation and monitoring of effective interventions in urban violence. The evidence base for what works and what does not is extremely thin. This paper assembles competing and complimentary theories, evidence and practical examples on the complex relationships between urbanization, poverty and violence