By 2050, nearly 70% of the world’s population will live in cities with urbanization being the trend of this century. On the other hand, most poor people nowadays live in rural communities, for which the United Nations is demanding stronger and more significant investments. However, here comes the question: should international organizations continue to invest in rural communities when populations are fleeing to the cities, and urbanization is the global trend — or is this investment precisely the key to making cities truly sustainable? Check out some opinions below.
Key Takeaways:
- It is projected that by 2030, an estimated 70% of people will live in urban areas, with up to 60% of urban dwellers being under 18.
- The World Cities Day is marked annually on October 31 to foster cooperation among countries to take advantage of opportunities to address the challenges of urbanization and contribute to sustainable urban development.
- Regarding investments in rural development, in view of the urbanization trend, experts opt for a balanced strategy that drives innovation in rural areas and promotes more orderly urban growth.
- As donor funding dries up, international organizations and the private sector should not only continue but even expand rural community investment as doing so is central to making cities sustainable.
DevelopmentAid: Should international organizations continue to invest in rural communities when urbanization is the global trend or is this investment precisely the key to making cities truly sustainable?
“Rural areas provide the foundation for urban life, acting as both the keepers and providers of essential resources and services. Cities thrive on the constant flow of food, raw materials, energy, and labor that originate in rural landscapes. For every individual in an urban area, there are multiple rural producers and their networks working to meet their daily needs: farmers cultivating crops, herders raising livestock, and workers maintaining the natural resource base that sustains urban consumption. Yet, this dependence is often invisible and underappreciated. Beyond these tangible goods, rural ecosystems deliver crucial services that support urban well-being. Forests, wetlands, and farmlands safeguard biodiversity, recharge groundwater, and regulate the climate, ensuring reliable supplies of water and other ecological services to cities. Degradation of these systems puts urban life in jeopardy. Lastly, life in rural areas, although modest and frugal, is closely aligned with nature’s rhythms. By living within ecological limits, rural communities model a sustainable way of life. As urban areas confront mounting environmental crises, embracing lessons from rural resilience and stewardship becomes vital for a balanced and enduring future. If anything, investment in rural areas ought to be multiplied for sustenance of urban lifestyles, and to ensure a balance in the availability of amenities across rural and urban areas.”
“It is important for governments to see rural areas as an indispensable part of the success of sustainable cities, as it is from these areas that the supply of food, water, energ,y and ecosystem services for cities is guaranteed. Strengthening climate resilience and food security is largely built outside cities. Investing in rural areas does not compete with urban development: it complements it. A balanced strategy that drives innovation, connectivity and opportunities in rural areas can slow the mass exodus to cities, reduce poverty and promote more orderly urban growth. Greater investment in rural development can become a laboratory for urban innovation. If we think of “rural urbanism” not as miniature cities, but as territories where planning balances production, housing, mobility and environmental preservation, we would expand the notion of urbanism beyond cement and asphalt. This would allow experimentation with decentralised renewable energies, green infrastructure, sustainable mobility and forms of community organisation that could then inspire cities. Instead of seeing the rural environment as lagging behind, we should see it as fertile ground for redesigning the relationship between society and nature. Investing in its development not only stops depopulation and poverty: it also opens the door to greener, more resilient and humane urbanism that will ultimately benefit both rural communities and large cities.”
“The world has become more urbanized over the past decades, with 55% of the global population now living in cities and the United Nations predicting that by 2050 this will grow to 68%. Many big cities are becoming increasingly unlivable because of air pollution, frequent flooding and disasters. This indicates the need for increased investment in urban areas but with a shift towards the urban poor, as the most vulnerable in affordable housing, urban agriculture WASH, infrastructure, pollution control (PM 2.5) and health facilities to ensure a sustainable living. Investment in rural communities’ mainly sustainable agriculture and rural development is essential to maintain and increase food production that also serves the urban communities that rely on a continuing affordable food supply from rural communities. Henceforth, investment in rural communities should continue. Urban and rural communities are interlinked – rural-urban linkage. Many international organizations run programs in both rural and urban areas in developing countries. Therefore, a balanced approach in the total investment is key based on the primary needs per individual country and the context with a percentage of investment in agriculture and rural development in rural communities for a steady food supply with a larger share being allocated for urban development.”
“Yes, international organizations should continue to invest in rural communities, even as urbanization accelerates. Rural areas should not be seen as outdated, but as essential parts of a life cycle that connects different stages of human development. With the right investment, rural communities can provide young families with healthier environments to raise children, with access to nature, safety, and strong social bonds. As children grow, the natural pull toward cities for higher education, professional opportunities, and cultural experiences becomes vital. Later in life, however, many people seek to return to rural settings, where the slower pace, close-knit networks, and the connection to the land allow for aging with dignity. Supporting this back-and-forth movement ensures that rural culture is preserved, while urban areas benefit from the energy and skills of those raised in more grounded environments. In this sense, investing in rural communities is not separate from building sustainable cities – it completes the cycle that makes them truly resilient.”
“At the 48th Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), held in Rome on February 12, 2025, world leaders emphasized the strategic importance of investing now in rural areas of developing countries to ensure food and nutrition security, economic growth, and stability. Sustainable rural development is vital to the economic, social, and environmental viability of nations. Nearly 3 billion people live in the rural areas of developing countries and depend largely on small-scale and subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods. These regions are home to small-scale agricultural producers who produce 70% of the food consumed in low- and middle-income countries. This makes rural areas a reservoir for reducing poverty and inequality, as well as for global food stability. Goal 2 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. It is therefore essential to coordinate rural development initiatives and, above all, to support small producers who contribute to sustainable livelihoods through efforts at global, regional, national and local levels.”
“Investing in rural communities is not a step backward amid global urbanization – it’s a step toward a sustainable future. Rural areas are home to much of the world’s vulnerable population, but they also hold immense cultural wealth, ancestral knowledge, and the roots of food security. The well-being of cities depends directly on the health of the countryside: the water we drink, the food we eat, and the climate systems that support urban life all originate there. Strengthening rural territories builds climate resilience, supports local economies, and helps to prevent the social and environmental collapse of overcrowded cities. Far from being outdated, rural regions are vital to global sustainability. Strategic investment in these areas reduces inequality, preserves essential ecosystems, and honors ways of living that are deeply connected to the land. Urbanization should not be seen as an unstoppable end goal, but as a process that can only thrive if it is nourished by vibrant, autonomous, and respected rural communities.”
“Urbanisation is not only about expanding cities upwards but also about decompressing them outwards through resilient, circular networks. From my work in Ireland with Rural Roots to compact city strategies in Vienna, I have learned that the strongest path to sustainability lies in reconnecting urban and rural systems. Rural territories hold the keys to food security, biodiversity, and cultural identity, yet they are too often treated as the “backyard” of urban growth. We risk building fragile giants if we continue to concentrate resources solely in megacities. In contrast, by investing in rural communities as multinodal regional hubs, we unlock circular value chains that regenerate economies, reduce migration pressures, and promote balanced territorial development. This strategy is purposeful. Villages and small towns, when connected through smart infrastructures and empowered with innovation, become laboratories of resilience. They transform ancestral knowledge into productive systems and inspire new economies. International organisations should not question whether to invest in rural areas, but rather how quickly they can scale these circular hubs. Only then will cities become truly sustainable, as their foundations will be strong.”
“The answer to this question is ‘yes’. International organizations and the private sector should not only continue but expand rural community investment despite donor funding drying up; doing so is central to making cities sustainable. Rural areas produce food, store carbon, manage water and biodiversity, and build climate resilience. Strengthening them secures urban food systems, reduces the pressure of slum-forming migration, and lowers the infrastructural and environmental costs of rapid urban growth. Smart rural investments include the development of sustainable agriculture, decentralized renewables, climate-smart infrastructure, local markets and governance. These create sustainable livelihoods that slow forced urbanization and improve regional supply chains and peri-urban resilience. Instead of competing with cities, rural investment complements them by reducing the dependence on long supply chains, cushioning climate shocks, and enabling planned, compact urban growth. What’s the right strategy? Integrated urban–rural planning and targeted finance that values ecosystem services and small-town economies. Rural investment isn’t a diversion from urban priorities. It’s strategic leverage for sustainable, equitable urban futures.”
“When one thinks of living sustainably in its truest form, the first chain of thought should never be that of urban cities. The balance of modern amenities and their accessibility is indeed development, but it should not be the marker of how lives are truly sustained. The case of rural investment versus urban investment is not only an antithesis, but must be viewed with greater certainty to redress and stem the challenges of rural poverty as this is where most of the world’s poor still live. Infrastructural funds to rural areas are fundamental to mitigating the challenges where food security is rooted, and where climate resilience is forged. Robust initiatives on roads, storage facilities, green/brown energy, market access and value chain, will not only see the eradication of poverty be achieved but sustained through commerce to create a greater standard of living to that of urban cities. A deliberate thrust in how funds are invested will create the empowerment of rural communities. Perhaps shifting from urban/centralization models to localised economies, and enriching both urban and rural capacity through a cohesive, multi-nodal modelling can exceed the 2030 goals.”
“Imagine you have no money to feed your family or pay the rent. Imagine you have no work because you couldn’t study due to a serious disease that struck your mother and all the family budget was spent to treat this. This desperate situation probably happens to people in the poorer countries across America, Asia and Africa, who migrate from the peripheral communities to urban centers in search of a better opportunity. What makes one human more competitive than another? The luck of being born in a family with resources or success in the employment of a survival strategy? The fact is that today, the context where human beings are born and grow determines their mental capacities. So, in the end, what truly makes us equal in this new tech era is knowledge. For the preparation of children and youth in rural communities, there exists a disadvantage compared to urban environments, especially concerning the conditions of the educational and recreational infrastructure and the lack of importance in social recognition for those who produce our food and the final value that they receive from this kind of work.”
See also: Urbanization and sustainable cities development: A critical examination
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