Abstract

Asia is home to over 2.3 billion urban residents and is expected to grow another 50% by 2050. The way nature is included in urban growth will play a decisive role in shaping urban futures around the world. Asia is urbanizing at an unprecedented pace and is home to over 54 percent of the world’s urban population. Shaped by highly diverse socio- demographic, political, and ecological and climatic contexts, this rapid expansion will continue in the coming decades, presenting significant challenges in the face of climate change and mounting social and political pressures. Megacities such as Tokyo (37.8M), Jakarta (35.4M), and New Delhi (34.7M) are at the forefront of global urbanization, and by 2050, Asia’s population is projected to see a 50 percent rise in its urban population (UN ESCAP, 2025). At the same time, many secondary and smaller cities — often at the urban–peri-urban– rural interface and with large informal settlements — are expanding rapidly with limited planning capacity.