The world has passed a significant threshold: it is now more urban than rural. Urban areas under 1 million in size are projected to absorb a population increase of nearly one half billion in the next fifteen years. These developments will give rise to demands for investments in infrastructure in thousands of cities and towns. Given the simultaneous move toward decentralization of fiscal responsibilities, the weak financial and technical capacity of local governments will become an increasingly serious constraint. Reaching large numbers of municipalities with relatively small investment needs...