The Greater Suva Urban Area (GSUA) is confronting a range of challenges relating to urban poverty, environmental risk, infrastructure and land management, amongst others. In order to effectively engage these challenges, and seek solutions to them, this urban profile documents and analyses six key components of the GSUA: urban governance and finance, urban planning and management, land development and administration, urban infrastructure and services, urban housing and shelter, and climate change and disaster risk reduction. Urban profiling consists of a set of actions to assess urban needs and capacity issues at the city level. It employs a participatory approach where priorities are agreed on through consultative processes. Urban profiling is currently being implemented in over 20 countries in Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Urban profiling in Fiji includes an overall national urban profile and urban profiles of three urban areas, namely the Greater Suva Urban Area, Lautoka City and Nadi Town. Each profile will be published separately. T he GSUA comprises the capital city of Fiji, Suva City, and three municipal towns namely Lami, Nasinu and Nausori Towns. The GSUA is the country’s largest urban area holding an estimated 57 per cent (244,000 people) of the national urban population in 2007. The urban area covers 4000 hectares and forms part of the larger Suva-Nausori Corridor. The population growth rate in the GSUA hovers around 1.7 per cent on average, with towns such as Nausori Town having higher growth rates at 4 per cent. The GSUA is the country’s economic centre generating an estimated 30 per cent of the national gross domestic product. T here are three categories of land ownership in the GSUA: state land which is managed by the Department of Lands and Survey, iTaukei (indigenous Fijian) lands managed by the iTaukei Lands Trust Board, and privately-held land. Administration and management is framed by relevant national acts. Indigenous landowning units in iTaukei villages in the GSUA actively determine how land is utilized in their villages, many now seeking economic and development ventures on their lands. This is encouraged by the National Housing Policy of 2011.