In 2001, the URP and ISRDP were announced as a 10 year initiative to address poverty and underdevelopment in targeted areas, with a special emphasis on improving joint government planning and implementation. The URP focuses on 8 urban townships (called urban nodes), but the learning  from these 8 nodes are intended to improve the manner in which government support township renewal across the country. At the end of the programme, the intention is for township renewal support to become mainstreamed into the work of all of government and for government polices and programmes to reflect more effective support for urban poverty areas such as townships.