This brief sets out four priority areas where policies concerning urban diets and nutrition are in particular need of change: governance of urban food systems, wider aspects of urban governance, policies relating to the informal retail sector and addressing the triple burden of malnutrition, including overweight and obesity. While most actions will depend heavily on local contexts, the Global Panel offers eight recommendations to policymakers which are universally applicable to help governments to address all forms of malnutrition in urban areas.

1. Policymakers need to urgently rebalance their efforts to make high-quality diets a priority for both urban and rural populations.
2. Policymakers at the local level need to take a leading role in championing better diets and nutrition – this requires them to be both mandated and empowered to act.
3. It is essential to tackle the challenges of urban malnutrition by capitalizing on opportunities offered by urban food systems.
4. There is a need to connect with wider areas of policy which are usually excluded from dialogues on urban diets and nutrition.
5. It is essential to address the needs of all urban population groups.
6. Attitudes to the informal food sector need to change.
7. Urban policymakers in low- and middle-income countries need to give more attention to the specific challenges associated with rising rates of overweight and obesity.
8. Effective action in tackling urban health and nutrition challenges needs to be carefully measured, rigorously analyzed and quickly disseminated.