A multidisciplinary seminar, as part of the Kellogg Urban Knowledge Exchange series Around 1.5 million people are moving into the world’s cities every week. By 2050 there will be an additional 2 billion urban citizens mostly concentrated in developing countries. It places huge demands on infrastructure, housing, services, job creation, climate and environment. At the same time it presents opportunities for business, society and sustainable growth. This seminar sets out to explore the impact of rapid urbanisation, the critical lack of capacity amongst some of the most vulnerable countries and how the past may hold the key to unlocking sustainable development. We have asked four leading voices in the field to share their knowledge, research and pitch their views on the subject. This is the next event in our series examining key urban issues. It is certain to provoke some lively debate.