More frequently, towns and urban agglomerations are affected by natural disasters. Large cities and mega-cities concentrate and magnify risk, but smaller cities also suffer from exposure to multiple risks. Therefore, involvement in reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in urban and peri-urban areas has become increasingly significant. Field-focused guidance for practitioners and decision-makers on key issues to inform current transitional shelter programming and the initiation of reconstruction and repair programmes in the urban context is crucial to ensure a sustainable recovery. There are various reconstruction manuals available – yet most of them focus only on rural areas. Consequently, Swiss Resource Centre and Consultancies for Development (Skat) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) have compiled these guidelines with a focus on the urban context.