Greater access to public goods and services benefits the poor, thus helping steer economic growth, speakers at a workshop said on Sunday.
Easy public services and goods, specially education and health care, not only drive urban economy, but also benefit the cities, they added.
Cities have an important role in fostering equitable economic growth in an increasingly urban world.
The speakers said this at a final dissemination workshop styled "Promoting Equitable Economic Growth in Secondary Towns in Bangladesh' at BRAC Centre Inn.
Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) and Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) and BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) in association with the Cities Alliance organised the workshop.
Dr Shanawez Hossain, head of Urban, Climate Change and Environment (UCCE) Cluster of BIGD, presented a report styled 'Joint Work Programme Equitable Economic Growth City Campaign Bangladesh: City diagnostics and dialogues in Narayanganj and Sylhet'.
The action plan for improving medical waste management (MWM) and vocational training centres for the SCC was presented by SCC assistant engineer Joydeb Biswas.
Meanwhile, the action plan for setting up women's complex and city digital centres under the NCC was presented by NCC urban planner Moinul Islam.
SCC mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury said manpower and fund crises, lack of equipment and politicised administration bar equitable economic growth in cities.
Cities Alliance, a global partnership for urban poverty reduction and hosted by the UN Office for Project Services, and BIGD undertook the project 'Promoting Equitable Economic Growth in Cities'.
The project aims to promote equitable access to public goods and services in context of cities' specific needs and support growth trajectories increasingly characterised by equity, inclusion and environmental sustainability.
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