The World Bank sponsored an inaugural Urban Research symposium to help bring together organizations, networks, and individuals, working at the forefront of research on issues of urban poverty in developing and transition countries. We hope that, in future years this event might serve as one of the principal international urban research fora. In that context, the symposium aimed to convene some of the world’s leading researchers, international and non-governmental organizations, to share and exchange knowledge. By working more closely together, we hope to raise the profile and broaden the scope of international research into urban poverty.

This inaugural event differed from typical research conferences in that, this year, the principal objective of the symposium was to develop an understanding of the current state of urban research in the themes identified in the Concept Note, specifically:

• to familiarize participants and World Bank Staff with the major sources and centers of urban research with relevance to poverty in developing and transition countries;

• to identify the broad outlines of an agreed poverty reduction research agenda, and

• to help provide the direction, impetus and collaborative framework for subsequent research conferences.

In conjunction with the Urban Research symposium was an Urban Poverty Knowledge Fair. This exhibition, which took place in the busy Atrium of the World Bank's Headquarters, provided an opportunity for organizations to showcase activities, initiatives, and projects that draw on urban poverty research and demonstrate how knowledge is being applied in innovative ways to alleviate urban poverty.

The Urban Research symposium was open to World Bank staff and invited guests.