1. SHELTER
2. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND ERADICATION OF POVERTY
3. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
4. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
5. GOVERNANCE
6. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

INDICATOR 1: TENURE TYPES
Significance: This indicator provides an overview of the share of different tenure status among urban dwellers. Among the safest tenure are ownership, purchasing and tenants in social housing and when rental regulations are protective enough, private tenancy can offer a fairly safe tenure to households. The most common precarious tenure status are homelessness and squatter, which can also be used as distinct indicators.
Definition: percentage of woman and man-headed households in the following tenure categories :
(a) owned; (b) purchasing; (c) private rental: (d) social housing; (e) sub-tenancy; (f) rent free; (g) squatter no rent; (h) squatter rent paid; (i) other, including homelessness.
Collection level: city level - national level.
Linkages: indicator 2 (evictions), indicator 3 (housing price-to-income ratio), indicator 5 (mortgage and non-mortage).


INDICATOR 2: EVICTIONS
Significance: Whether is it legal or illegal, eviction has generally negative social impacts on the concerned population. This indicator measures the degree to which this practice is still in force. Because eviction is usually irregular and intermittent, the value for this indicator is an average over the last five-year period. In developed countries the indicator will refer to evictions during large public works projects but mostly to evictions for non-payment of rent, and will measure affordability conditions and the availability of legal recourse by landlords. In developing countries the major component of this indicator will be squatter evictions. In many countries, Governments have chosen to allow long-term squatter settlements to remain in place, improved infrastructure, and secured land tenure thereby allowing the residents to invest more in improving their housing. In other countries, however, eviction continues unabated.
Definition: defined as the average annual number of households evicted from their dwellings during the past five years.
Collection level: city level - national level.
Linkages: indicator 1 (tenure types), indicator 3 (housing price-to-income ratio).

QUALITATIVE DATA 1: HOUSING RIGHTS
Significance: Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, the right to adequate housing has been recognized as an important component of the right to an adequate standard of living. Part of the actions that Governments are committed to providing, in the matter of housing, that the law shall prohibit any discrimination and guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection against them. Also, Governments are committed to providing legal security of tenure and equal access to land for all, including women and those living in poverty (Habitat Agenda, paragraph 61).
Qualitative data:
1. Does the Constitution or national law promote housing rights? (yes/no) Does it include protections against eviction? (yes/no)
2. Are there impediments to owning land (considerable, some, none)? Are there particular impediments to women owning land (considerable, some, none)? Are there impediments to particular groups owning land (considerable, some, none)? Which particular groups?
3. Are there impediments to women inheriting land and housing (considerable, some, none)? Are there impediments to particular groups inheriting land and housing (considerable, some, none)? Which particular groups?
Impediments include both legal or traditional barriers to inheritance which affect a significant proportion of the land area (e.g., in excess of 5%). Discrimination which are faced by other particular groups can be on the basis of race, color, language, religion or other.
4. Are there impediments to women taking mortgages in their own name (considerable, some, none)? Are there impediments to particular groups taking mortgages in their own name (considerable, some, none)? Which particular groups? Impediments include both legal or institutional impediments for women, including requirements for guarantors, higher interest rates, down-payment or deposit requirements, or loan limits which are different from those applying to men of similar incomes and wealth.
Collection level: national level.
Linkages: indicator 1 (tenure types), indicator 2 (evictions).


INDICATOR 3: HOUSING PRICE-TO-INCOME RATIO
Significance: In a responsive and efficient housing market, the range of housing prices and rents have to be such that they respond to all sections of the population and reach the lowest segments. This indicator is based on the assumption that, for households, access to adequate housing means that housing expenditures do not take up an undue portion of their income. Housing price and rent to income ratio provide a good measure of housing affordability at the city level. They also convey the greatest amount of information on the overall performance of housing markets.
Definition: ratio of the median free-market price of a dwelling unit and the median annual household income and ratio of the median annual rent of a dwelling unit and the median annual household income of renters.
Collection level: city level.
Linkages: indicator 1 (tenure types), indicator 4 (land price-to-income ratio), indicator 5 (mortgage and non-mortgage).

INDICATOR 4: LAND PRICE-TO-INCOME RATIO
Significance: Land price is one major key to revealing land availability and development in cities. A responsive urban environment should be able to have land accessible and available at a reasonable range of prices in order to respond to the demand of individual households and the private sector. The ratio of the price of land to household income not only indicates if affordable land is available to cater the needs of the different segments of the population. It also shows if the local government is able to respond to the growing needs by developing infrastructure in undeveloped parts of the city or providing incentives for new developments.
Definition: ratios between the median price of 10 sq m of highly-developed, developed and raw land and the median household income per month.
Collection level: city level.
Linkages: indicator 1 (tenure types), indicator 3 (housing price-to-income ratio), indicator 6 (access to water), indicator 7 (household connections), indicator 12 (urban population growth), indicator 18 (travel time).

INDICATOR 5: MORTGAGE AND NON-MORTGAGE
Significance: Because housing is an expensive purchase beyond the reach of the majority of households, the availability of mortgage facilities is a necessary part of ensuring access to owner-occupancy, and where such credit is not adequately available to particular groups, housing ownership will be severely restricted. In countries which have no mortgage available, households can either go for commercial loans, which are generally too expensive for the majority of the population, or, when available, can obtain other loans from the non-formal financial sector, generally in the form of micro-credits.
Definition: proportion of dwellings that are covered by mortgage and proportion of dwellings that are covered by non-mortgage loans.
Collection level: city level.
Linkages: indicator 1 (tenure types), indicator 3 (housing price-to-income ratio), indicator 4 (land price-to-income ratio).

INDICATOR 6: ACCESS TO WATER
Significance: Water is one of the great necessities of human life which is taken for granted in the developed world. A supply of clean water is absolutely necessary for life and health, yet 1.4 billion people lack access to adequate water supply or can only obtain it at high prices. In many cities, Households in informal settlements are rarely connected to the network and can only rely on water from vendors at up to 200 times the tap price. Improving access to safe water implies less burden on people, mostly women, to collect water from available sources. It also means reducing the global burden of water-related diseases and the improvement of quality of life.
Definition: percentage of households with access to water. Access is defined as having water located within 200 meters of the dwelling.
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 8 (under-five mortality), indicator 10 (poor households), indicator 13 (water consumption), indicator 14 (price of water).

INDICATOR 7: HOUSEHOLD CONNECTIONS
Significance: The quality and reliability of local services are taken for granted in highly industrialized countries, but limited access to, or poor quality of, infrastructure services in developing countries can be major impediments to business productivity, and major sources of frustration to the population. The poorest households in developing countries generally cannot afford household connections of telephone and electricity, and often only have access to primitive or communal water supply and sewage and solid waste disposal systems. As well as reducing the quality of life in settlements, the absence of connection to basic services makes communities living in informal settlements particularly vulnerable to disease and epidemics.
Definition: percentage of households which, within their housing unit, are connected to:
a) piped water; b) sewerage; c) electricity; and d) telephone
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 6 (access to water), indicator 13 (water consumption), indicator 14 (price of water).

INDICATOR 8: UNDER-FIVE MORTALITY
Significance: Under-five mortality is a powerful indicator of quality of life in cities. High child mortality is directly correlated to low environmental indicators such as the level of wastewater treatment and sewerage and sanitation facilities.
Definition: percentage of female and male children who die before reaching their fifth birthday.
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 6 (access to water), indicator 10 (poor households), indicator 16 (wastewater treated), indicator 17 (solid waste disposal), indicator 15 (air pollution).

INDICATOR 9: CRIME RATES
Significance: Crime rates provide useful information on the level of security in a city. However, the number of reported murders, rapes and thefts too often only represents the apparent crime. According to recent research on the subject, in many countries, less than 50% of the total crimes are reported to the police and therefore, in official statistics. Crime rates should be taken with caution and reporting should mention the possible gaps between the official figures and the reality.
Definition: number of reported victims (male and female) annually per 1000 population, for:
(a) homicides; (b) rapes; (c) thefts.
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 10 (poor households), qualitative data 2 (urban violence), indicator 22 (unemployment).

QUALITATIVE DATA 2: URBAN VIOLENCE
Significance: Since crime rates provide only a partial picture of the level of urban violence, this qualitative data provides complementary information at the city level. Whether or not the city has areas considered as dangerous or inaccessible to the police and children experience violence at school are good indication of the level of urban violence. Major policies and programme against crimes and violence include official policy against domestic violence, crime and weapon control prevention policy and victim of violence assistance programmes.
Qualitative data:
Existence of:
(a) areas considered as dangerous or inaccessible to the police (yes/no);
(b) violence at school (none, some, a lot);
(c) official policy against domestic violence (yes/no);
(d) crime prevention policy (yes/no);
(e) weapon control policy (yes/no);
(f) victim of violence assistance programme (yes/no).
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 9 (crime rates), indicator 10 (poor households).

INDICATOR 10: POOR HOUSEHOLDS
Significance: The number of poor, measured through the number of households below the poverty line, provides an indication of the general level of poverty. It indicates the relative size of people in poverty which constitute the major part of disadvantaged groups. Progress in this area is achieved through general socioeconomic development, alleviation and eradication programmes and special support measures to disadvantaged groups. Reduced poverty is also a guarantee to improved social integration and inclusion. Other indicators of poverty are proxy-measures which indicates the level of access to shelter (indicator 2), land (indicator 3), credit (indicator 4), basic services (indicator 5). Population groups which are deprived from a number of basic necessities usually fall under the poor and disadvantaged groups.
Definition: percentage of women and men-headed households situated below the poverty line (national or locally-defined poverty line).
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 8 (under-five mortality), indicator 6 (access to water), indicator 9 (crime rates), indicator 22 (unemployment), indicator 21 (informal employment).

INDICATOR 11: FEMALE-MALE GAPS
Significance: Female-male gaps in major socioeconomic issues at the city level are essential for measuring the level of gender equality in human settlements.
Definition: Female-male gaps in education (school enrollment rates by sex), health (under-five mortality rate and life expectancy by sex), employment (unemployment by sex) and formal participation in decision-making (number and nominated councillors by sex at the local level).
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 8 (under-five mortality), indicator 22 (unemployment), indicator 21 (informal employment).

INDICATOR 12: URBAN POPULATION GROWTH
Significance: Bringing the development of urban areas into harmony with its environment and the overall system of settlements is one of the basic task to be undertaken in order to achieve the general goal of sustainable human settlements in an urbanizing world. Geographically-balanced structures form part of this goal, achieved through monitoring the growth of urban populations. Population growth in urban areas needs to be monitored and harmonized so that it does not create unmanageable densities and population concentrations. High population growth without accompanying infrastructure development, adequate supply of basic services, accessible and affordable land and shelter, sufficient employment and economic opportunities is conducive to urban disorders.
Definition: annual growth in population.
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 3 (housing price-to-income ratio), indicator 4 (land price-to-income ratio), indicator 6 (access to water), indicator 7 (household connections).

INDICATOR 13: WATER CONSUMPTION
Significance: Consumption of water per person depends on the availability and price of water, the climate, and the uses to which water is customarily put by individuals (drinking, bathing, washing, gardening). In many cities, potable water supply is not constant and household rely on a few hours to tap the available water during the day. Water consumption is much higher in cities of higher income countries, as with most other forms of consumption. Typically people in cities of developed countries use 272 litres per day while the average in Africa is 53 litres per day, around a quarter. North American cities use, on average, double the amount of water per person, that Western European cities use, and seven times that of African cities.
Definition: Defined as average consumption of water in liters per day per person, for all domestic uses (excludes industrial).
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 6 (access to water), indicator 7 (household connections), indicator 13 (price of water), indicator 16 (wastewater treated).

INDICATOR 14: PRICE OF WATER
Significance: In many cities, households living in informal settlements are not connected to the network and can only rely on water from vendors at up to 200 times the tap price. The price of water may rise to very high levels in some areas at some times, and can take a significant proportion of the household budget. If more than 50% of households have piped water, then this will be the user-pays marginal cost of water. How much an average household is spending in water varies tremendously from city to city.
Definition: defined as median price paid per hundred liters of water in US dollars, at the time of year when water is most expensive. This measures the cost of water at times when it is most scarce.
Collection level: city level.
Linkages: indicator 6 (access to water), indicator 7 (household connections), indicator 10 (poor households), indicator 13 (water consumption).

INDICATOR 15: AIR POLLUTION
Significance: The production and consumption of energy influences most aspects of urban life. Growing urban populations and levels of industrialization inevitably lead to greater energy demand, which is usually reflected in increasing pollutant emissions. Air pollution is directly linked to energy consumption, environmental policy, city density, transport by motor vehicles, concentration of industries, etc. The combustion of wood and of fossil fuels for domestic heating, for power generation, in motor vehicles and in industrial processes and the disposal of solid wastes by incineration, are generally the principal sources of air pollutant emissions to the atmosphere in urban areas. The most common air pollutants in urban environments include sulphur dioxide (SO2), the nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2, collectively termed NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), suspended particulate matter (SPM) and lead (Pb), with the last two usually being considered as the most harmful to health.
Definition: number of days per annum that WHO standards are exceeded, and average annual measured concentrations for the following: SO2, SPM, O3, CO, Nox,, Pb.
Collection level: city level.
Linkages: indicator 8 (under-five mortality), indicator 12 (urban growth), indicator 19 (transport modes).

INDICATOR 16: WASTEWATER TREATED
Significance: It has been proved that improvement of water treatment reduces the incidence of a variety of water-borne diseases. A reliable wastewater treatment system is a major indicator of the level of local development and of community health. Water pollution from human wastes is less of a problem in countries that can afford to treat sewage and wastewater, and water pollution can be minimized with adequate investment in treatment systems. The percentage of wastewater treated is a key indicator of water quality management.
Definition: percentage of all wastewater undergoing some form of treatment.
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 8 (under-five mortality), indicator 6 (access to water).

INDICATOR 17: SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL
Significance: Many cities generate more solid waste than they can collect or dispose of. Even when municipal budgets are adequate for collection, the safe disposal of collected wastes often remains a problem. Dumping and uncollected landfills are sometimes the main disposal methods in many developing countries; sanitary landfills are the norm in only a handful of cities. Inadequate collection and unmanaged disposal present a number of problems for human health and productivity. Uncollected refuse dumped in public areas or in waterways contributes to the spread of disease.
Definition: percentage of solid waste: (a) disposed to sanitary landfill; (b) incinerated; (c) disposed to open dump; (d) recycled; (e) burned openly; (f) other.
Collection level: city level.
Linkages: indicator 8 (under-five mortality).

QUALITATIVE DATA 3: DISASTER PREVENTION AND MITIGATION INSTRUMENTS
Significance: With the increasing population living in urban areas, the impact of natural or human-made disasters on people and human settlements is becoming greater. These disasters require specific prevention, preparedness and mitigation instruments which often do not exist in disaster-prone areas because of economic and technical reasons. Major instruments are the existence and application of appropriate norms and building codes, which prevent and mitigate impacts of disasters, and hazard mapping, which inform the policy-makers, population and professional of disasters-prone areas. The existence of disaster insurance is a good indication that codes will be applied.
Qualitative data:
Existence of:
(a) building codes (yes/no);
(b) hazard mapping (yes/no);
(c) disaster insurance (yes/no).
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 12 (urban population growth).

INDICATOR 18: TRAVEL TIME
Significance: Travel time is one of the key performance measures of transportation systems. Long transport time to work is an obvious sign of urban dysfunction, associated with severe traffic congestion, uncontrolled mixes of traffic types, poorly operating public transport networks, lack of adequate local traffic management, accidents and general dissatisfaction of the population who daily commute to their workplace. Reducing travel time has become a real challenge for transport planners of fast growing megacities, where commuters spend sometimes more than one hour in average to reach their workplace.
Definition: Average time in minutes for a one-way work trip. This is an average over all modes of transport.
Collection level: city level.
Linkages: indicator 19 (transport modes).

INDICATOR 19: TRANSPORT MODES
Significance: Transport can play a determinant role in the economy and quality of life of cities. Effective and environmentally friendly transportation systems are revealed through measures of the different travel modes used for work trips. Transportation system should be adequately balanced for the several uses required. While transport should be as efficient as possible to ensure the movement of goods and people, as a major consumer of non-renewable energy and a major contributor to pollution, congestion and accidents, an adequate mix of modes is necessary to ensure its sustainability and reduced impacts on the environment. While private motorized transport (cars, motorcycles) has become the major mode in cities at the end of this century, public transport and non-motorized modes of transport should be encouraged, since they are generally affordable, efficient and energy-saving.
Definition: percentage of work trips undertaken by: (a) private car; (b) train, tram; (c) bus or minibus;
(d) motorcycle; (e) bicycle; (f) foot; (g) other modes.
Collection level: city level.
Linkages: indicator 17 (travel time), indicator 15 (air pollution).
14. Support mechanisms to prepare and implement LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLANS and local Agenda 21 initiatives

QUALITATIVE DATA 4: LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLANS
Significance: Sustainable human settlements depend on the creation of a better environment, which will improve the living conditions of people. To achieve this, Governments should support mechanisms for consultation and partnership among interested parties, to prepare and implement local environmental plans and local Agenda 21 initiatives, as well as specific cross-sectoral environmental health programmes.
Country-level:
1. How many cities have established long-term strategic planning initiatives for sustainable development, involving key partners? (number)
2. Is this process institutionalized at the national level and/or has there been any legislative change to support cities to engage in sustainable development planning processes? (yes/no)
City-level:
1. Has the city established a long-term strategic planning initiative for sustainable development, involving key partners? (yes/no)
2. Is the city implementing local environmental action plans involving key partners? (yes/no)
Linkages: all other indicators of chapter 3 (environmental management).

INDICATOR 20: INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT
Significance: The increasing role of the informal sector in a number of economies is a consequence of growth in the labour force without a matching response in the level of formal employment opportunities. The informal sector may generate substantial activity and may constitute a basis for the development of urban economies if adequate policies are in place to enable the sector to perform and expand productively. The informal sector has played an increasing role in the expansion of production in rapidly growing cities in developing countries. The informal sector has great freedom of action, being by definition free of government interference, and will tend to deliver labour resources to productive areas of the economy. The increasing importance of the informal sector would suggest institutional changes for more flexible fiscal policies, better financial credit arrangements for small units of production, and legislation providing limited rights for employees in the sector.
Definition: percentage of the employed population whose activity is part of the informal sector. The informal sector consists of persons engaged in the production of goods or services, based on units typically operating at a low level of organization, with little or no division between labor and capital as factors of production and on a small scale. The informal sector includes, first, all unregistered commercial enterprises, and second, all non-commercial enterprises that have no formal structure in terms of organization and operation.
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 10 (poor households), indicator 12 (urban population growth), indicator 21 (city product).

QUALITATIVE DATA 5: PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
Significance: To establish an effective financial base for urban development, Governments should encourage the formation of new public-private sector partnerships for institutions that are privately owned and managed, but public in their function and purpose (Habitat Agenda, paragraph 158). Public-private partnerships allow a greater flexibility in the management and guarantee a higher level of transparency, efficiency and accountability of their operations. They also allow higher cost-recovery of services.
Qualitative data:
1. Have some major public enterprises involving the delivery of services in cities established partnerships with private firms during the last five years at the city level? (yes/no) at the city level ? (yes/no)
2. If yes, how many at the country level (number)? at the city level (number) ?
Linkages: indicator 22 (unemployment), qualitative data 4 (transparency and accountability), indicator 24 (local government resources and expenditures).

INDICATOR 21: CITY PRODUCT
Significance: Cities have traditionally served as economic centers and have become primary providers of services. They are engines of economic growth and development. Also, cities currently generate more than half of national economic activities worldwide (Habitat Agenda, paragraph 155). Urban productivity, measured through the city product, is an important indicator providing a strong measure of the level of economic development of the city vis-à-vis the national level, and informing about the level of investment, the efficiency of public and private enterprises and the generation of productive employment. The city product is essentially the gross national product (GNP) of the city, an estimate of the city level economic output.
Definition: the city product is the total product of the city as defined in national accounts procedures. This may either be taken as the total income or value-added (wages plus business surplus plus taxes plus imports), or the total final demand (consumption plus investment plus exports).
Collection level: city level.
Linkages: indicator 12 (urban population growth), indicator 20 (informal employment), indicator 22 (unemployment).

INDICATOR 22: UNEMPLOYMENT
Significance: Urban economies are integral to the process of economic transformation and development. They are the prerequisite for the creation of a diversified economic base capable of generating employment opportunities. Many new jobs need to be created in urban areas (Habitat Agenda, paragraph 155). Stimulating productive employment opportunities is also part of the general goal of social development. Employment should generate income sufficient to achieve an adequate standard of living for all people, men and women (Habitat Agenda, paragraph 118a). In industrialized countries, unemployment rates are probably the most familiar indicators of all to express the health of the economy and the success of government economic policy. Unemployment is, however, a formal labour market concept which is often not applicable in developing countries with their large informal sector. Indicator 21 (informal employment) may constitute a better indicator for developing countries.
Definition: average proportion of unemployed men and women during the year, as a fraction of the (formal) workforce. The unemployed are the average number of persons above 15 years who, during the reference period were "without work", "currently available for work" and "seeking work".
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 11 (poor households), indicator 12 (urban population growth), indicator 9 (crime rates), indicator 21 (city product).

QUALITATIVE DATA 6: LEVEL OF DECENTRALIZATION
Significance: Decentralization is part of the general goal of institutional development. Sustainable human settlements will increasingly depend on the capacity of all levels of government to reflect the priorities of communities, to encourage and guide local development and forge partnerships. This can be achieved through the effective decentralization of responsibilities, policy management, decision-making authority and sufficient resources (Habitat Agenda, paragraph 177). The questions below attempt to determine the level of decentralization and independence of action of local governments. It is considered particularly important that local governments should know what level of funding they will receive from higher governments, either as a formula-driven transfer or as a triennium or long-term allocation. The viability of the local government may be seriously compromised, if its budget is altered mid-term at the discretion of higher-level governments.
Qualitative data:
1. Can higher levels of government (national, state/provincial):
a. Close the local government (e.g. appoint an administrator or a new council, call new elections)? (yes/no)
b. Remove councillors from office? (all/some)
2. Can the local government, without permission from higher governments:
a. Set local tax levels (property tax etc.)? (all/some)
b. Set user charges for services? (all/some)
c. Borrow funds? (all/some)
d. Choose contractors for projects? (all/some)
3. Is the amount of fund transfers from higher governments known in advance of the local budget setting process ? (all/some). If some, what is the percentage known?
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 6 (access to water), indicator 7 (household connections), indicator 10 (poor households), indicator 16 (wasterwater treated).

QUALITATIVE DATA 7: CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN MAJOR PLANNING DECISIONS
Significance: To encourage and support participation, civic engagement and the fulfillment of government responsibilities, national Governments, local authorities and/or civil society organizations should put into effect, at appropriate levels, institutional and legal frameworks that facilitate and enable the broad-based participation of all people in decision-making and in the implementation and monitoring of human settlements strategies, policies and programmes (Habitat Agenda, paragraph 182). Participatory mechanisms should ensure that all voices are heard in identifying problems and priorities, setting goals and implementing programmes and projects.
Qualitative data:
Are cities involving the civil society in a formal participatory process prior to:
a. new major roads and highway proposals? (yes/no)
b. alteration in zoning? (yes/no)
c. major public projects? (yes/no)
A formal participatory process might involve: public announcement, receipt and processing of objections, public meetings and consultations, formation of oversight committees involving non-governmental organisations and public representatives.
Collection level: city level.
Linkages: qualitative data 8 (transparency and accountability).

QUALITATIVE DATA 8: TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Significance: Ensuring transparent and accountable Governments is part of the general goal of enablement and participation. Governments are committed to the strategy of enabling all key actors in the public, private and community sectors to play an effective role in human settlements and shelter development (Habitat Agenda, paragraph 44). In order to do so, they have committed themselves to the objectives of enabling local leadership, promoting democratic rule, exercising public authority and using public resources in order to ensure transparent and accountable governance of towns, cities and metropolitan areas. Indication that transparency and accountability are ensured can be answered through the existence of regular independent auditing and municipal accounts, publication of contracts and tenders for municipal services, sanctions against faults of civil servants, laws on disclosure of potential conflicts of interest.
Qualitative data:
Existence of:
a. regular independent auditing of municipal accounts (yes/no);
b. published contracts and tenders for municipal services (yes/no);
c. sanctions against faults of civil servants (yes/no);
d. laws on disclosure of potential conflicts of interest (yes/no).
Collection level: city level.
Linkages: qualitative data 7 (citizen involvement in major planning decisions).

INDICATOR 23: LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES
Significance: Sustainable human settlements can be achieved through the effective decentralization of responsibilities, policy management, decision-making authority and sufficient resources (Habitat Agenda, paragraph 177). The amount of local government revenue is an important indicator, which determines the level of effectiveness of local authorities. While revenue is an important piece of information which indicates the level of income which municipalities are able to raise from their residents, the business and industries and from higher levels of government, the amount of local government expenditure is another important piece of information on the degree of responsiveness of local government to the infrastructure needs of industries, services and residents. The level of capital expenditure varies dramatically across cities and regions. The outcomes in terms of quality of service provision are obvious. A low level of capital expenditure correlates with a low level of access to services, poor water treatment (indicators 7 and 16) and waste collection, for example. In some cities, the high level of revenue and investment is due to the fact that local governments are responsible for virtually the whole range of local services.
Definition: total local government revenue from all sources in US dollars annually, both capital and recurrent, divided by population (3 year average) and capital expenditure in US dollars per person, by all local governments in the metropolitan area, averaged over the last three years.
Collection level: city level.
Linkages: indicator 21 (city product), qualitative data 8 (transparency and accountability).

QUALITATIVE DATA 9: ENGAGEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION
Significance: The formulation and implementation of strategies for human settlements development are the primary responsibility of each country at the national and local levels, within the legal framework of each country. The overall decline of official development assistance, however, is a serious cause of concern. Innovative approaches and frameworks for international cooperation in the development and management of human settlements must be sought and developed to include the active participation of all levels of governments, the private and cooperative sectors, non- governmental organisations and community based organisations in decision-making, policy formulation and resource allocation, implementation and evaluation.
Qualitative data:
1. Is the country involved in international cooperation, as receiver (yes/no) or donor? (yes/no)
2. For donor countries: what is the total amount provided to urban areas, in how many countries?
3. For recipient countries and cities: what is the total amount received by the country? By the city?
4. For cities: Is the city affiliated to one or more association of local authorities? (yes/no)
5. For cities: Is the city involved in direct city to city cooperation? (yes/no)
Collection level: city level, national level.
Linkages: indicator 21 (city product), indicator 24 (local government revenue and expenditure).