City Planning Labs (CPL)

City Planning Labs: Building Foundations for Smarter Cities

City Planning Labs (CPL) is a Technical Assistance program of the World Bank, which aims to enhance the technical and institutional capacity of municipal governments to produce, share, and utilize geospatial data for evidence-led urban planning.

CPL is grateful for the catalytic support of: the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

Data has the potential to transform the way city residents live, work and interact, in a sustainable way. At City Planning Labs (CPL), we collaborate with city governments to harness the power of data to create and enable more livable, resilient, and inclusive cities.

Empowering Cities to Deliver where it matters most

City Planning Labs (CPL) Global enables cities to transform how they plan, prioritize, and invest in infrastructure. By harnessing spatial data, strengthening institutions, and supporting the use of integrated platforms, CPL helps governments de-risk public investment, optimize resource allocation, and build confidence among external financiers.

Systems that Transform Spatial Data into a Strategic Asset

CPL offers adaptable, open-source tools that support data-driven planning and high-impact investment. Its latest innovation, the Capital High Impact Prioritization (CHIP) platform, is a one-stop shop that helps cities move from fragmented plans to a clear, actionable pipeline of priority investments. CHIP links spatial data with budgeting processes, enabling cities to assess trade-offs, align internal stakeholders, and make the case for financing—whether public or private.

An Innovative but Practical Approach

CPL applies a modular framework that connects people, institutions, data, and systems to strengthen government planning and investment processes. By leveraging these data ecosystems, cities can align spatial data with high-impact investment decisions, unlocking greater economic and social value.

Our Impact

CPL strengthens the foundations for data-driven investment prioritization– helping cities create the conditions for economic opportunity, improved service delivery, and optimized use of public funds.