Charter Cities Discussion

Each year cities add more than 70 million new residents. Despite the tremendous reduction in global poverty over the past 50 years, governments around the world still struggle to meet the challenges posed by demographic booms, poorly managed urbanization, institutional failure and ever-changing economic conditions. Migration, remittances, and aid have helped alleviate crises, but have failed as comprehensive long-term solutions.

Decades of research have shown that sustained economic growth is the primary determinant of a country’s standard of living. Economic growth, however, requires access to well-functioning institutions. Improving institutions therefore, is the most effective way to lift people out of poverty.

Charter cities, new cities with a special jurisdiction which grant them broad autonomy to improve governance, can provide a comprehensive solution to decades of stalled growth in emerging ecoonomies. ‍Singapore, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Dubai, despite pursuing different developmental strategies, all demonstrate that it’s possible for cities to grow from impoverished to world-class cities in two to three generations.

Join the Charter Cities Institute for an afternoon of discussion about how charter cities can usher in the next era of economic developement in Africa and beyond.

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Program

2:00 to 2:30 Introduction to Charter Cities by Charter Cities Institute Executive Director Mark Lutter

2:30 to 3:00 Building Nkwashi, a new Zambian City by Mwiya Musokotwane, CEO of Thebe Investment Management

3:00 to 4:00 Panel discussion with Mwiya Musokotwane, Jonathan Said, Head of Inclusive Growth and Private-Sector Development Practice at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and Gyude Moore, Visting Fellow at the Center for Global Development, moderated by Tamara Winter, Communications Lead for the Charter Citites Institute

4:00 to 5:00 Reception

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For questions or other inquiries, contact Communications Lead Tamara Winter at tamara@cci.city.