Development Research Group

The 10th Urbanization and Development Conference will bring together academics and development practitioners to present and discuss questions relating to jobs, firms, and growth in cities.

The two-day event will take place in Washington, DC. Day 1 (March 30) will take place in the World Bank MC Building and Day 2 (March 31) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center.

Preregistration is for general attendees (non-speakers) who would like to participate in the conference (online or in-person), and attendance is not confirmed until you receive an email from the Conference Organizing Committee.

A year ago, at the Development Research Group, we launched Research Insights with a simple goal: make evidence easy to access and useful for policy decisions.

Each edition brings together highlights from our team’s research, so you can see what works, why it works, and how it can inform better solutions.

Our annual roundup shares a collection of evidence-based insights, organized thematically by verticals: People, Prosperity, Planet, Infrastructure, and Digital.

The latest edition of Trade Watch, jointly developed by the Development Research Group and the Trade, Investment, and Competition Department, shows that global goods trade continued to expand in Q3 2025, despite higher trade-policy uncertainty.

Trade in services also continued to grow in the July-to-September period, albeit at a slower pace, led by digitally enabled services.

Shipping costs remained low, as container fleet expansion continued to restrain shipping costs amid global supply chain pressures.

As climate shocks intensify, how can people, firms, and governments move beyond coping with disasters to anticipate, prepare for, and reduce the severity of shocks before they occur?

On December 2, World Bank Senior Economist Forhad Shilpi shared insights from the report Rethinking Resilience: Adapting to a Changing Climate, during the last Policy Research Talk of the year.

She presented the report's Five I’s strategy—income, information, insurance, infrastructure, and interventions—which can help countries shift from reactive relief to proactive adaptation, laying the foundation for inclusive growth and long-term prosperity.