Central America is today the second-fastest urbanizing region in the world. Urbanization is progressing at unprecedented rates and cities are becoming the place where challenges and opportunities are increasingly concentrated. Within the next generation, 7 out of 10 Central Americans will live in cities, adding 700,000 new urban residents every year in the next three decades. At current rates of urbanization, the region’s urban population will double in size by 2050, welcoming over 25 million new urban dwellers. Underestimating this transition could increase the creation of informal settlements and the concentration of population and economic activity in risk-prone areas, undermining productivity and reducing the capacity of countries and cities to withstand shocks. Unplanned and uncontrolled urbanization undermines social inclusion, exacerbating crime and violence, which is today one of the most pressing challenges in the region. Moving forward, cities in Central America need to prepare and adapt to provide more and better services, improve infrastructure, expand access to affordable housing, and enable the private sector to create quality jobs for all
