Impact and implications of urbanisation has been a cross-cutting theme addressed in several research projects of CSES. CSES has done extensive research on service delivery of urban local governments, consequences of inter-state migration on urban governance, child budget analysis of urban local governments, urban housing issues, etc. With the increasing rate of urbanisation in Kerala a pressing need for focussed research on issues of inclusive urban development and access to services for urban poor and migrants, etc. was felt. The Urban Research Unit was set up in CSES in 2020 on a strong foundation received through the conduct of studies mentioned above. The Urban Research Unit envisages to not only conduct research on issues of urban development and governance but also serve as a platform for researchers working on urbanisation to share their views and collaborate on works.