Bangkok is Thailand’s capital city and biggest urban centre, and one of the world’s megacities. It is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR),which is further composed of the Bangkok Metropolitan Area (BMA) and its five adjacent provinces, covering an area of 7,758 km2. The rapid urban expansion of Bangkok, matched with its population growth over the past few decades, has left many issues unresolved. With the city struggling in maintaining pace with urbanisation trends and match it with the provision of the necessary public infrastructure.

Johannesburg is the capital of Gauteng, which is the South African province with the biggest population comprising approximately the 24 percent of the overall population. As of 2016 Johannesburg had an estimated population of 4.4 million, and according to the census, the city has grown at an extremely high rate: an average of 4.1 percent between 1996 and 2001 and by 3.2 percent between 2001 and 2011. Although this urbanisation boom is projected to slow down, Johannesburg is expected to reach 7 million inhabitants by 2040.

Durban is located on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province in South Africa and eThekwini Municipality is the local government responsible for management and service provision across the eThekwini Municipal Area. Durban is the third most populous city in South Africa and the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. Durban forms part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and has a population of about 3.9 million.

Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa, hosting the Parliament, with a population currently estimated at 4,430,367, and an average annual population growth of 2.4 per cent. Like many South African cities, Cape Town is characterised by low urban densities of 1,629 people per square kilometre, and a net density of 17 dwelling units per hectare.

Cebu City is the regional, financial and administrative capital of the Central Visayas Region with a population of 900,000 and it is the second-biggest growth area in the Philippines after Manila. It is located within a larger metropolitan area that has experienced a rapid population growth in the last decades, increasing from 1.5 million in 1990 to 2.8 million in 2015. Development stretches along the coast due to a mountainous topography and high vulnerability risk that restricts viable land allocation for urban expansion.

Recife is a coastal city located in the northeast region of Brazil. With a population of 1.5 million inhabitants,it is the ninth largest city in Brazil. Recife is the major city on the Recife Metropolitan Region (RMR), which is composed of 15 municipalities (Goiana, one of the 15 municipalities, joined the administrative region in 2018).