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Almuzn Mohammed Elhassan

Almuzn Mohammed Elhassan

Research Intern

Almuzn holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Khartoum and now works as an urban researcher. She is interested in research projects that address questions about the rights of the city, decentralized governance, and sustainable development. For the past three years, Almuzn worked on researching urban displacement conditions, city-life realities, and land allocation policies in Sudan, and produced podcasts, policy briefs, and open-access background notes.

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Student Diaries: Subilo Banda on Charter Cities

Our new blog series called ‘Student Diaries: Perspectives on Urbanization & Development’ aims to amplify student voices on urbanization and development issues in Africa. Our first blog is by Subilo Banda, a student at the University of Zambia, discussing an alternative avenue to fostering economic growth in developing nations.

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Behind the Beautiful Forevers

March Book Club Review

Each month, the CCI team selects a new book to read and discuss together. Our book club selections cover a wide range of topics that are relevant to charter cities, but they are most often related to development, urban issues, and governance. In this ongoing series, reviewers will offer summaries of the books we’ve read and share some of the highlights from our discussions.

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15-Minute Cities and American Inequality: The Relationship Between Walkability and Social Inclusivity

Over the past few years, the 15-minute city has emerged as a contentious urban planning paradigm. The concept, which proposes organizing cities into clusters of dense neighborhoods where all daily needs can be reach within a 15-minute walk or bike ride, is criticized as a segregationist and impractical approach to urbanism. Its detractors fear that it will worsen social inequality and reduce economic benefits. In this paper, we challenge these criticisms. We argue that 15-minute cities are an effective urban policy to improve social equality and spur economic development. We conceptually argue that 15-minute cities embody consensus policies among urban planner, and therefore, they should not be treated skeptically. We also discuss how 15-minute cities are beneficial to low-income residents. To illustrate our arguments, we qualitatively compare New York City and Washington, DC’s impoverished neighborhoods. We show that the relatively more walkable neighborhoods of NYC are better for the poor than DC’s relatively less walkable neighborhoods.

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war and constitutions

Charter Cities Podcast Episode 64: Building Vibrant Communities with Brooke Bowman and Mark Lutter

Can a city hold the key to unlocking economic prosperity on a grand scale? In this episode, we sit down with Brooke Bowman and Mark Lutter to discuss charter cities and their role in addressing economic development challenges. Mark is a visionary thinker invested in progress, governance, social dynamics, and the concept of new cities. He is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Charter Cities Institute and CEO of Braavos Cities, a pioneering charter city development company. Brooke is the founder of Vibecamp, a community that aims to foster connections and personal growth. Join us as we delve into the intricacies of community-building, economic development, and cultural influence. We unpack the concept of charter cities as a way to address economic development challenges and the importance of facilitating genuine connections with people through city developments and fostering community and co-living without excessive overhead. Tuning in, you’ll discover the value of creating spaces where like-minded individuals can gather and interact and how the intersection of co-creation and play drives culture and innovation. To learn how to unlock the potential of charter cities and create vibrant, sustainable communities with a focus on culture, innovation, and positive societal impact, don’t miss this conversation!

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