21.23 linear feet of textual records; 4.50 linear feet of videocassettes; 1.66 linear feet of audiocassettes

Records were transferred to the World Bank Group Archives by the urban development sector units in accordance with approved records retention schedules.

This series contains records from the Urban Unit of the Finance, Economics and Urban Department (FEUUR) and its predecessors, relating to economic and sector work, as well as projects managed by regional vice presidencies. Record formats include, but are not limited to, internal research working papers, discussion papers, general operational reviews and annual urban sector portfolio review reports, manuals and handbooks, copies of articles, Terms of Reference, agenda and list of participants, briefing notes and correspondence for senior management signature, presentation slide hard copies, publication lists.

The topics covered in these records are both general and country-specific and include urban and housing policy, public investment and expenditures, monitoring and evaluating urban development programs, land use, urban property taxation, rent control, shelter and housing, infrastructure services, financing urban services, industrial location policies, urban development and the environment, urban transportation, and local government.

Records were primarily maintained by Knowledge Management Analyst Laura Lewis de Brular as well as Principal Urban Planner George Gattoni and, to a lesser extent, Sector Manager Abha Joshi-Ghani. The records originally identified as "project files" contain a combination of project support, sectoral studies, and conferences and other knowledge and learning event records. Records relate to the sector staff participation and attendance at various international conferences, seminars, workshops, and similar events. The records also reflect the units' role in planning and organizing certain events. The series contains audio and video recordings of the Urban Forum proceedings (2006), Urban Research Symposium (2003), Urban Development and Poverty Reduction (2002), and the jointly organized Infrastructure Forum on Municipal Finance (2001). Textual records accompany most of the recordings.

Other activities include the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), municipal development sector review, annual sector portfolio review, quality assurance, urban policy paper, external website, and performance indicators for the urban sector.

The series contains numerous working papers of the Urban Management Programme (UMP), the joint United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/UN-Habitat/World Bank global technical assistance program that develops and disseminates policies and tools. Series also consists of reports authored by urban sector staff, consultants, other Bankstaff, or external authors created between 1992 and 2001. Reports were prepared for internal dissemination, presentations at conferences or seminars, or issued as publications.

The series also contains correspondence between the urban units' director, task manager, Controller's Vice Presidency, and donors regarding trust fund proposals, agreements, amendments, and use of consultants. Projects reflected include Strategic Municipal Solid Waste Planning, Bosnia and Herzegovina Emergency Public Works and Employment Project, and Prague Forum 2000 Foundation Cities of Change Initiative.

Original order has been maintained. Records are arranged by subject, by event title, or country and project title.

Records are subject to the World Bank Access to Information Policy.

Records are subject to the Terms of Use for the World Bank Group Textual Records.

• English

• Spanish

• French

• As described in the administrative history of this fonds description, staff from small, specialized sectors, including the urban sector (between 1972 and 1987), were designated as central operating project units (COPDs) that provided the full range of planning, direction, supervision, and personnel to the Region during which time they worked as a regional project division, under the direction of regional management. Most of the records created from operational activities such as project lending or project support records would typically have been maintained together with the appropriate project records and sent to the Bank's Regional Information Service Centers (RISCs). See the Regional Vice Presidency fonds linked in the Regional Vice Presidencies thematic fonds page for records, including those in the RISCs, related to projects, country sector studies, and other country-specific operations in the urban development sector.

• See profiles of operational projects (loans, credits, grants, and trust funds) which involve topics related to the urban development sector in the Project and Operations Database. The database filters can be used to include only those projects that involve themes of the urban sector. Lists of archival records relating to these projects can be found in the "Documents" tab.

• See Records of the Urban Development Sector - Cities Alliance partnership and program collaboration (WB IBRD/IDA URB-01) for records related to the Cities Alliance global partnership and trust fund activities administered by the Bank's Cities Alliance unit.

• See the World Bank Group's Documents and Reports repository for digitized reports and papers produced by urban sector units and staff.

• See Records of the Office of the Chief Economist - Records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist and later Senior Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist (WB IBRD/IDA DEC) for records of the hub unit for Bank research. See specifically - Research Project Files Maintained in the Office of the Vice President, Development Policy (VPD) and the Office of the Vice President, Economics and Research (VPERS) (WB IBRD/IDA DEC-03-75)

Internal World Bank Group Archives rules

30 June 2025