Today’s biggest crises are unfolding in cities, from Ukraine’s devastated urban centres to the Gaza Strip, Khartoum in Sudan and Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Cities are where fragility becomes visible and where conflict, displacement and climate shocks collide, often compounding longstanding inequalities, writes Yamila Castro, Communications Lead at Cities Alliance.

Addressing fragility in cities is, therefore, not only a social imperative; it is also a crucial economic consideration. It is the precondition for investment and growth. There is also a collective-security dividend. Fragile cities can turn a regional shock into a prolonged crisis, driving poverty, displacement, disrupting markets and fuelling instability, she adds.