Member's Documents
Thematic Evaluation on ADB’s Support for Livable Cities, 2017–2024
Published by: Independent Evaluation Department, Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been supporting its developing member countries (DMCs) to put in place clean, inclusive, and resilient urban environments. This evaluation assessed ADB’s responsiveness and strategic positioning in supporting DMCs to enhance urban livability across Asia and the Pacific.
Covering ADB projects categorized as contributing to livable cities from 2017 to 2024, the evaluation focused on ADB’s five operational approaches to supporting livable cities: (i) institutional arrangements for cross-sector and thematic approaches beyond a traditional sector-based approach; (ii) supporting staff skills, capacity and incentives for implementation of cross-sectoral approaches; (iii) engagement at different levels of government, improving their governance and institutional and financial capacities; (iv) engagement with nonsovereign operations (NSO); and (v) coordination with other stakeholders and partners.
The evaluation findings highlight ADB’s alignment with DMC needs and its emphasis on infrastructure, while underscoring the need for stronger urban diagnostics, better integration of project indicators with strategic frameworks, and enhanced monitoring and evaluation systems for better tracking project outcomes. It also calls for tailoring organizational arrangements to support cross-sectoral collaboration and for scaling up engagement with subnational entities through direct lending and technical assistance. The evaluation offers recommendations to guide ADB’s support for sustainable, green, inclusive, healthy, safe, and resilient cities.
