Evaluation of the IDB's Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative

The Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative (ESCI), launched in 2012, is the Bank's most recent response to the urban development needs in the region. Through ESCI the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) aimed at redirecting its focus to improving urban planning practices and shaping development in midsize cities. OVE's evaluation aims to take stock of IDB's work with emerging cities through ESCI to date, even though it is still early to assess the effectiveness of individual action plans produced by the initiative. The ESCI Special Program ended in December 2015 and is now being mainstreamed into the work of the Housing and Urban Development division (HUD) within the new Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department (CSD). This transition provides an opportunity for a productive stocktaking.