Few cities needed a metro system like the Peruvian capital. Now foreign money is pouring in to further extend the network and relieve pressure on the overcrowded streets above.

For centuries a country of isolated settlements and impassable terrain, Peru is realising the benefits of road and rail links when it comes to increasing productivity.

Spain's economic success stories have been thin on the ground since the onset of the global financial crisis, but that is changing, with capital city Madrid leading the country's charge across the hi-tech, transport and real estate sectors.

Can Angola defy the downturn in oil demand and continue to profit from its abundance of fossil fuels? One analyst thinks it can – with a little help from a more diverse range of overseas investors.

It is estimated that smart cities will present opportunities worth $1500bn over the next five years, with urban areas in emerging markets at the forefront of this development. But can a move towards 'smart' fill the huge infrastructural, social and energy requirements of these cities?

Is the decline in spending on green energy over the past five years a sign of investors gaining a clearer understanding of the market?

Tartu, Estonia's second city, has a small population but great ambitions to attract tech companies. Could it become the new testing lab of Europe?