as stated in the policy unit policy paper an ineffective nup has a weak connection between economic development policies and other urban policies resulting in a silo approach to governance united nations a countries can work to make direct and indirect linkages between nups and broader economic development policies and national development plans it is not surprising that many nups address this theme because it is widely recognised that cities are engines of national economic growth and because maximising the potential economic benefits of urbanisation is indeed the main argument and the first incentive for countries to proactively manage urbanisation through national policies