Urban planning was traditionally seen as a means to control and regulate the development of towns and cities. In the cities of the developing world, however, traditional planning approaches have failed to address the challenges of rapid urbanisation and the poverty, exclusion, informality and vulnerability it brings in its wake.

Urban development intervention and an appropriate solid waste management aim at contributing towards sustainable human settlements development in general, as well as prevention, upgrading and integration of unplanned settlements, and the management of post-conflict and post-disaster situations, in particular.