Mobilizing adequate revenues to meet recurrent expenditures and make long-term investments in support of inclusive and sustainable local development are among the most significant challenges cities are facing across the globe, especially those in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). This is the urban finance challenge addressed by ‘Financing Sustainable Urban Development in the Least Developed Countries’, a joint UNCDF – Financing for Development Office/UN-DESA publication.

This publication provides an overview of the multi-dimensional challenges LDCs face in financing sustainable development at the local level from the political, institutional and economic perspectives. It explores the critical interlinkages between the different dimensions of urban finance, including revenue generation, financial management and long-term capital formation. Most importantly, it illustrates concrete country experiences in meeting related challenges through a wide range of case studies from local governments in LDCs.