Fonds consists of records that reflect the range of functional responsibilities within the urban sector beginning from 1972 including: producing research, studies, and publications; policy development; operational support to the regions regarding Bank projects and partnership projects; maintaining Bank partnerships and sponsorship of joint programs with United Nations agencies such as UN-Habitat and other organizations; managing and monitoring global trust funds; and participation or organization of conferences, training, and other learning events. Most records in the fonds relate to the Cities Alliance global partnership activities (1995 - 2015) administered by the Bank's Cities Alliance unit to address urban poverty and sustainable cities. Records also relate to the operation and administration of the Urban Poverty Program by the Urban Operations Review and Support Unit (URBOR) and to the research and reporting activities for which it was responsible.

This fonds also includes correspondence from the Office of the Director of the Public Utilities Projects Department (PBPDR) and the Office of the Director of the Energy, Water and Telecommunications Department (EWTDR), between 1975 and1977, documenting the water sector's input on water supply and sanitation, which served as a complement to the Urban Task Group's preliminary report to President Robert McNamara.

Records in this fonds cover various topics including, but not limited to, urban planning, low income housing, squatter settlement and slum upgrading, land registration and use, solid waste and urban infrastructure management, municipal development and investment, local economic development and employment, urban and housing policy development, and sustainable urbanization.