Cities are unequal. Considerable parts of the urban population, especially in the Global South, are poor, whereas others are affluent. In part, poverty is associated with the influx of poor rural immigrants in need of jobs, shelter and basic services such as water, electricity, education and health care. Levels of access to these basic services can differ a lot between socio-economic groups and will also vary across urban spaces. To address such inequalities, contemporary urban development strategies and policies are directed toward the inclusion of socially and economically weaker groups. These groups need to benefit most from sustainable planning interventions. Here, inclusiveness and competitiveness need to be linked, as only inclusive cities can be truly competitive. Successful cities offer competitive locations and are centres of innovation, where liveability and inclusiveness are important factors. When analysing the economic performance of an urban region, the role of geography needs explicit consideration as urban competitiveness requires an understanding of spatial relationships inside cities (e.g., variations of locational factors and clustering of economic activities). Furthermore, the role of land use (planning) and land markets is essential for understanding competitiveness in all its dimensions for building competitive and inclusive cities.