Charter Cities Podcast

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

Private Cities: A New Frontier in Urban Development and Governance with Martin Rama and Yue Li

Charter Cities Podcast

08/14/23 • 39 min

Host Jeffrey Mason welcomes esteemed guests Martin Rama and Yue Li to another enthralling episode of Charter Cities. Together, they embark on a deep exploration of the intriguing world of private cities, delving into their impact on urban agglomerations and the delicate interplay with local governments. Tune in today to hear their insights on the successes and challenges that private cities face, as well as the potentials that lie ahead. Through engaging discussions and vivid examples, our hosts and guests will illustrate the multifaceted landscape of private urban development. Martin and Yue share their perspectives on how private actors are reshaping urban environments and the intricate dynamics that govern these relationships. As our episode unfolds, the conversation navigates the complexities of urban development, revealing the key facts and insights surrounding this captivating subject. Thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

The significance of private cities as major urban agglomerations with political constituencies
The push for a voice and a shift towards traditional cities as the population grows
Resistance against converting successful private cities into traditional ones
Strategic underinvestment by private actors in services, relying on government provision
Evolution of institutions between private actors and local governments
Designing private cities to offer improved services and environments
Willingness of residents and firms to pay a premium for land
Benefits for developers or companies through increased land value
Exploration of different private city models and demographic focuses
A historical look at private cities and their reemergence in modern times
Examples of private cities in both advanced and developing countries
An overview of private cities and their types in various countries
Focus on initial research in South Asia, including India and Pakistan
Indonesia's status as the country with the highest number of private cities
Categorization into company towns, strategic cities, and mixed cities
Prevalence of strategic cities in Indonesia, with some in India
An analysis of economic activities and government support in private cities
Various economic activities spearheaded by the private sector
Efforts to seek favorable treatment from the government
The role of special economic zones and infrastructure support
Strategies to attract specific industries and investors
The urgent need for empirical research on economic dynamics and inequality
Tentative conclusions and a call for further research
Definitions and challenges associated with private cities
Contradictions with typical city governance run by local government
The leading role played by private actors in planning, financing, and service operation
Challenging but not new conventional notions of city governance
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) in private city governance
Topological studies, inventories, and governance evolution within private cities
Variations in roles and functions between the private sector and local government
Land value capture and equity issues in private city development
The viability and underinvestment associated with value capture limitations
Creative equity solutions, such as preserving original residents or project shares
Exploration of alternative value recovery and fairness mechanisms
The challenges faced by local governments in designing effective value capture strategies

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Martin Rama on The World Bank

Martin Rama on LinkedIn

Scott Alexander on Instagram

Relationship Building, Network Cities, and Leveraging Competitive Advantage with Mark Lutter

Charter Cities Podcast

06/26/23 • 54 min

Charter Cities Institute Founder and Chairman Mark Lutter returns to the podcast to share his perspective on network states, charter city trends, and more. Mark is also the CEO of Braavos Cities, a charter city development company partnering with local landowners and a leading organizer of Zuzalu, a new pop-up city in Montenegro. Tune in today to hear Mark’s insights on existing network states and why they have either succeeded or failed. You’ll also learn about some of the challenges associated with attracting appropriate talent to cities in order to facilitate growth. Mark shares his experience at Zuzalu and describes the flat hierarchical structure that was made possible there. Using the metaphor of gardening instead of carpentry, Mark illustrates his unique approach to building network cities. Hear how Mark differs from others in the charter city space on the matter of location and his analysis of the global response to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. As our episode draws to a close, Mark reveals his thoughts on restarting struggling economies, finding buy-in from local government, and more. Thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

An introduction to today’s episode with CCI Founder and Chairman Mark Lutter.
What Zuzali is and how it came together with reference to Vitalik Buterin and Balaji Srinivasan.
Defining the terms ‘pop up city’, ‘pop up village’, and ‘network state’.
How the historical failures of network-type states influence Mark’s feelings.
Examining the examples of Israel, Utah, Salt Lake City, and Jonestown.
Considering why San Francisco is especially susceptible to cults.
Why Mark returned from Montenegro and Zuzalu with optimism for network states.
How the internet can behave as a giant sorting mechanism.
His predictions for how sorting mechanisms will change in the future.
The problem of attracting appropriate talent to cities.
Why Montenegro was the chosen location for Zuzalu.
Building Zuzalu whilst building local relationships.
The role of the host government in the success of Zuzalu.
Where the name Zuzalu came from.
Flat status hierarchies in network cities and other agglomerates.
How they managed to sustain a flat hierarchy at Zuzalu.
What it means to think like a gardener and not a carpenter.
What Braavos Cities is and what it aims to do.
Where Mark differs from other folks in the charter city space on the matter of location.
Two migration patterns to tap into.
The greatest successes of the COVID-19 pandemic and what could have been adopted instead.
Distinguishing between Charter Cities Institute and Braavos Cities.
Restarting an economy through leveraging comparative advantage.
Getting buy-in from local government.
Job creation and investment.
The Zanzibar project that Mark is excited about at the moment.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Mark Lutter

Mark Lutter on Twitter

Mark Lutter on Medium

Victoria Harbor Group

Tyler Cowen on Twitter

Industrialization and Assimilation

Industrialization and Assimilation with Dr. Elliott Green

Charter Cities Podcast

06/12/23 • 51 min

Industrialization has a myriad of consequences that have been studied and speculated upon from the very start. In this episode, Dr. Elliott Green joins us to discuss the impact of industrialization on ethnic identity and diversity. Dr. Green is a political scientist, Africanist, and associate professor in the Department of International Development at The London School of Economics. He is also the author of the book Industrialization and Assimilation and today, we learn about his research and insights on the topic. We delve into the Marx-Geller take on industrialization and find out how Dr. Green conceptualizes it and why he promotes pro-industrialization. We discuss the implications of urbanization without industrialization in Africa and how people use their rural identities as insurance against de-urbanization before investigating the cause of “under-urbanization” in countries like Kenya and Uganda. From the measures of industrialization and its relationship to economic growth and identity formation to the effect of decentralization on assimilation, Dr. Green tackles it all! Tune in for this insightful conversation on all things industrialization and identity.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing political scientist and Africanist, Dr. Elliott Green

• The topic investigated in his book Industrialization and Assimilation: the consequence of Industrialization in terms of ethnic diversity.

• How Dr. Green’s take on industrialization differs from that of Marx and Geller.

• Why we have differing levels of ethnic diversity across the world.

• The implications of urbanization without industrialization in Africa.

• Cases of de-urbanization in Africa and how people use their rural identities as insurance against it.

• Which African regions have the highest and lowest levels of urbanization.

• What can be attributed to the “under-urbanization” of countries like Kenya and Uganda.

• Why Dr. Green promotes pro-industrialization and how he conceptualizes industrialization.

• The relationship between economic growth and industrialization.

• Other measures of industrialization.

• How industrialization generates broader processes of identity formation, irrespective of politics and religion.

• The overlap of religious and ethnic identities in 20th century Turkey.

• Instances where industrialization and nation-building do and don’t go hand in hand.

• Government attempts to create ethnically neutral cities.

• Why trust is essential for development.

• Dr. Green’s take on the “markets make us moral” hypothesis.

• To what extent decentralization can affect assimilation or ethnic change.

• How the “completion” of industrialization will (or won’t) impact identity.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Elliott Green

Ha-Joon Chang

Magnetic Mountain: Stalinism as a Civilization

Nations, States, and Violence

Joseph McKinney on LinkedIn

Catawba Digital Economic Zone with Joseph McKinney

Charter Cities Podcast

08/01/22 • 34 min

If you’re a regular listener of this podcast you may be familiar with the term Special Economic Zone (SEZ). In short, SEZ refers to an area where business and trade laws are different from the rest of the country. Typically, these zones will have laws or legal codes and regulations that make it attractive for businesses to relocate there. Today on the show you’ll learn all about these zones and more as we sit down with Joseph McKinney, CEO of the Catawba Digital Economic Zone (DEZ), a new SEZ established by the Catawba nation based in the Carolinas. In our conversation, we break down the economic and philosophical objectives of the Catawba DEZ and its unique legal and regulatory frameworks as well as how this zone is integrated into tribal governance. We also discuss the Catawba DEZ’s special focus on FinTech, digital assets, advancing the digital economy, and why this gives them a competitive edge. Learn about the work they’re doing to explore physical infrastructure for data centers, supercomputers, and crypto mining, and why Joseph believes this has the most promising revenue-generating potential. Today’s episode takes a deep dive into SEZs and DEZs and breaks down how they can benefit indigenous people when implemented correctly, as well as what it takes to institute good governance. To learn more, make sure you tune in for key insights on this expansive and important topic!

Key Points From This Episode:

● Get to know today’s guest, Joseph McKinney, his background, and how he became CEO at Catawba Digital Economic Zone (DEZ).

● An overview of the Startup Societies Network and how it was founded.

● A breakdown of DEZs and how they work.

● The regulatory advantages of DEZs.

● The authority that Native Americans have within their states and how that applies to regulatory governance.

● How DEZs are creating a middle ground for tribal governance and regulation.

● How the Catawba tribe benefits from the DEZ in the Carolinas.

● Some of the physical infrastructure that they’re expecting to create, including data centers and supercomputers.

● An overview of how the Catawba Digital Economic Zone is creating regulatory certainty for Web3, crypto, blockchain, and fintech companies.

● How digital economic zones are expected to fit into existing trends within the tech industry.

● The most important value proposition made by the Catawba DEZ.

● Why this type of SEZ needs a combination of startup culture mobility, along with a secure foundation of good governance.

● How special economic zones are helping the United States improve its business environment.

● How the Catawba DEZ in the Carolinas, hopes to compete with Delaware.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Startup Societies Network

Catawba Digital Economic Zone

Forbes: This Indian Nation Is Setting Up A Special Economic Zone For Crypto, Fintech, Blockchain On Native Land

Fortune: Is the future of crypto regulation on tribal land?

Coindesk: US Tribal Nation-Backed Economic Zone Passes Rules Defining Digital Assets

How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth

Lessons on Economic Growth for the Future with Dr. Jared Rubin

Charter Cities Podcast

06/13/22 • 63 min

Dr. Jared Rubin is the co-author of How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth, which he wrote with Mark Koyama, a previous guest on the podcast. We are so happy to welcome Jared to the show today to discuss the thesis of his book, and what he and Mark aimed to add to the literature on the subject of economic growth in the contemporary context. This is a fascinating and thoughtful conversation, packed with insight and nuance on important arguments of the past, what is needed to broaden and enhance our understanding of economic growth, and how far these projects might go towards enabling us to see a better future. Dr. Rubin answers some questions about geographic, legal, and technological explanations for growth, and stresses the importance of synergy and interplay between these theories for a more illuminating picture. So to hear all this and a whole lot more, including many reasons to pick up his latest book, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing the role of culture in economic growth, and tracing the roots of this inquiry.

• Positioning How the World Became Rich in the lineage of literature on the subject of growth.

• Looking at England and the emergence of modern growth; arguments over the most important factors.

• Why Dr. Rubin tried to bring different theories into conversation through writing this book.

• Unpacking the argument for the role of liberal speech norms in the history of development, proposed by McCloskey.

• Technological progress and geographic endowments; why this relationship is worth exploration.

• Dr. Rubin's perspective on the role of law and legal systems in the growth trajectory of a country.

• Discussing the relative slowing of growth in the Western world and what this may mean.

• Dr. Rubin briefly comments on an argument for total factor productivity growth being linear.

• Thoughts on big picture topics through a micro lens.

• The lessons we can take from history for the most impactful policies for growth in the future.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Jared Rubin

Chapman University

Dr. Jared Rubin on Twitter

Mark Koyama

Charter Cities Podcast Episode 16 with Mark Koyama

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Gary Becker

Culture and the Evolutionary Process

Tackling Poverty and Preventing War with Chris Blattman

Charter Cities Podcast

04/19/22 • 75 min

The Ukraine-Russia conflict has dominated headlines over the past few months, with countless theories and hypotheses being touted to explain Russia’s aggression. Join us as we talk to one of the world’s leading experts on violence and politics, Professor Chris Blattman. We start the episode with an explanation of why Chris chose to write his latest book Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace, and how he can apply the logic within to explain Putin's motivations and behavior. We learn why peace is a better driver for innovation and competition than war, and what Chris feels about the controversial observations made by John Mearsheimer about the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Tune in to learn what the George Washington example is, and the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in the rising levels of violence within the USA. We next move on to the role of CBT in reducing violence across the globe, with some insightful examples of Mr. Rogers-like personas across Africa who Chris has worked with. This episode is jam-packed with tons of fascinating insights into current affairs, how to best tackle poverty, theoretical debate and so much more. Join us today as we talk to a true role model and thought leader on another episode of the Charter Cities podcast.

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to Chris Blattman, author, economist, political scientist, expert on violence, and seasoned peacebuilder.

• The inspiration behind why Chris wrote Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace.

• Chris’s response to John Mearsheimer’s observations on the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

• Why Chris is content that his book was published before Russia invaded Ukraine.

• The five logics of war applied to the Ukraine-Russia conflict: unchecked interests, intangible incentives, uncertainty, commitment problems, and misperceptions.

• Why Chris feels that peace drives competition and innovation better than war.

• The George Washington example: what it means and how it can be applied to other situations.

• Why Chris is interested in applying Machiavellian logic to his research and blogging.

• How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted levels of violence within the USA, and why.

• Why the Mr. Rogers principle is so effective, and examples Chris has come across in other countries.

• CBT and how it can be applied to reduce poverty.

• The monetary values associated with CBT across different cultures.

• Why oversimplifying complex problems is bad for the solution, and why including locals in the solution is key to success.

• An example of one of Chris’ RCTs that failed!

• Why Chris feels that he might have had a larger impact on society if he had moved into consulting in Africa.

• The factors that helped to make the Harris School the success it is today.

• Why Chris thinks giving cash is more effective at reducing poverty than other interventions.

• How decentralizing power will be the ultimate solution to poverty.

• Chris’s thoughts on the Charter Cities Institute and goals.

• Where Chris is now, and the issues he will be researching in the next five years.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Chris Blattman on LinkedIn

Chris Blattman

Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace

The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined

Charles Tilley on LinkedIn

John McCormick on LinkedIn

Inclusive Economy Lab

Anti-Politics Machine: Development, Depoliticization, and Bureaucratic Power in Lesotho

Gambling on Development: Why Some Countries Win and Others Lose

Econl...

Linda Colley on War and Constitutions

Charter Cities Podcast

05/09/22 • 49 min

Dr. Linda Colley is a leading expert on British imperial and global history, among other topics in British history. Dr. Colley is the M.C. Davis 1958 Professor of History at Princeton University, here today to discuss her newly published book, The Gun, The Ship, and the Pen: Warfare, Constitutions and the Making of the Modern World, which explores the complex interrelationship between the rise of modern warfare and the rise of modern constitutionalism worldwide. After introducing Dr. Colley, and discussing the themes of her book, we launch into a conversation about what drove her to research and write about the topic of constitutions across the globe. Hear about the brief period during 1653 when Britain had its own constitution, before Dr. Colley unpacks the role of printing press technology and the spread of literacy, and explains why building the French navy helped the American revolutionaries, but not the French monarchy. We address Toussaint’s two purposes for the constitutions, which unfolds into a discussion about the extent to which constitutions are not just a domestic tool, but serve an international purpose, with Tunisia as one of our examples. Hear how Japan’s constitution has worked to concede certain rights for its people, learn about James Beale’s vision for governance and modernization, and much more. Tune in for an in-depth discussion on the ever-evolving role of this fascinating type of document today.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Today’s guest, Dr. Linda Colley, expert on British imperial and global history.

• Themes explored in her newly published book, The Gun, The Ship, and the Pen.

• The brief period during 1653 when Britain had its own constitution.

• What moved her to write about global constitutions and their interpretations.

• The constitution drafted in Philadelphia in 1787’s role in influencing the rest of the globe.

• Mechanics of the relationship between war, revolution, and the emergence of constitutions.

• How the spread of literacy and printing presses facilitated codified constitutions.

• Why building the French navy helped the American revolutionaries, but not the French monarchy.

• Toussaint’s two purposes for the constitutions: to eradicate slavery in Haiti, and make it known to France that this is the case.

• The extent to which constitutions are not just a domestic tool, but a play for international legitimacy.

• Tunisia’s different approach to constitution making.

• How Japan’s constitution has worked to concede certain rights for its people.

• James Beale’s vision for governance and modernization.

• The evolution and plateau of the role and rights of women in society.

• Observing the link to the pressures of war within global constitutions.

• How Thomas Paine’s military service impacted his views, and how actual military service influences constitution makers in general.

• Catherine the Great in Russia and Bolivar in South America, and their constitutional influence.

• Tacit borrowings from the British model, and ultra-plagiarism in Norway.

• The best practices approach that can be pulled from all of these methods.

• How constant borrowing results in a final text that is distinct for each entity.

• Why the average duration of written constitutions is only 18 years and what that means.

• Why many constitutions within a country is not a failure, with South America as an example.

• The evolving aims and roles of constitutions and how they are being introduced.

• How the digital world influences constitutionalism across the globe.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Gun, The Ship, and the Pen: Warfare, Constitutions and the Making of the Modern World

Linda Colley

Linda Colley on Email

Linda Colley on LinkedIn