This publication presents a discussion of the status of poor urban children world-wide and the design of a five-nation study of the condition of distressed urban children. Following an introduction, Section 2 describes the urban child project designed to study and advance the plight of urban children in developing nations. Section 3 outlines the scope of the problem, including urbanization trends, migration, and issues beyond the statistics. Section 4 describes growing up urban and poor, focusing on the deteriorating environment, poverty and ethnic redistribution, the lack of appropriate shelter, child labor in the urban informal sector, lack of access to safe play spaces, and the monotony of poverty stricken communities. Section 5 describes the five studies being carried out in the Philippines, India, Kenya, Brazil, and Italy. The issues covered are childhood, families, coping strategies, communities and neighborhoods, and children in especially difficult circumstances. Also described are the study's comparative assessment of situations, street children, views on working children, and the problem in the context of the larger society. Also mentioned are an assessment of policies and programs, and interventions. Contains 108 references. (JB)