With the growth of urbanization in many developing countries, measures to support urban livelihoods and the urban-rural linkages are increasingly important. NRI staff have been researching urban livelihood systems, taking a particular interest in the role of urban agriculture and the planning processes that influence urban natural resource use.

Studies have been carried out in townships around Pretoria and Capetown in South Africa, and around Harare in Zimbabwe. A similar study has focused on the urban and peri-urban area of Kumasi in Ghana (more). These studies have generated insights into the nature of urban poverty and how it is influenced by the dynamics of urban development and land encroachment. A review of rural-urban linkages has been undertaken for DFID, and a paper was produced that describes methodologies for situational analysis in urban agriculture (see Martin et al. (2001) in our selected publications on livelihoods and institutions)..

The BBC World Service radio series "In The Field", recorded in collaboration with NRI, featured the above work on urban agriculture in Harare and Kumasi.