Shauna MacKinnon and Sara Swartz *

This special issue of Universitas Forum was made possible through a grant from the International Development Research Centre of Canada in support of the project Innovative Practice of Inclusive Urban Development and Poverty Reduction. Additional funding and inkind support were provided by: the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Canada), through the Manitoba Research Alliance (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Manitoba); the University of Winnipeg, Urban and Inner City Studies Department; the Huairou Commission; the KIP International School's Universitas Programme. Almost all the case studies and videos published in the "In Practice" section of this issue were produced with the support of small research grants provided through the project, which have allowed local groups to work with researchers and video makers, or simply take the time to document and systematize their own experiences.

The project Innovative Practice of Inclusive Urban Development and Poverty Reduction was administered through the University of Winnipeg under the leadership of Shauna MacKinnon, Assistant Professor, Department of Urban and Inner City Studies (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) and Sara Swartz, Director, Universitas Programme, KIP International School (Rome, Italy), who gratefully acknowledge the above partners for their fundamental support.

We would also like to thank the members of the editorial advisory board for their comments and contributions that helped bring this project to life:

John Loxley, Manitoba Research Alliance
Lynne Fernandez, Manitoba Research Alliance
Katie Gillett, Huairou Commission
Connie Guberman, University of Toronto

A special thank you for the research, editing, video-editing, technical support and translations provided by our very gifted research assistants:

Mareike Brunelli, KIP International School
Kaitlyn Duthie-Kannikkatt, University of Winnipeg
Carole O'Brien, University of Winnipeg
Mariapaola Pietracci Mirabelli, KIP International School, Universitas Programm