Blog Posts

Welcome back to my Journey of a Banana series. In the last article, I wrote about my interest in Lusaka’s banana sellers and got a sense of how street vending

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.

Introduction Massimo Mazzone can have a prickly demeanor. The sixty-year-old Italian businessman is usually abrupt and to the point, especially when discussing business. He is unafraid to raise his voice

Introducción Massimo Mazzone puede tener un carácter áspero. El empresario italiano de sesenta años suele ser brusco y directo, especialmente al hablar de negocios. No teme alzar la voz cuando

Introduction: Ripening Questions There is something about buying fruits and vegetables straight from a street stand. Whenever I travel, I enjoy buying food from street shops while quickly chatting with

Introduction The defining story of the African continent in the twenty-first century is of rapid urbanization, with cities emerging as important centers of economic activity and social transformation. However, too

Jon Vandenheuvel is obsessed. He is obsessed with affordability, auditability, and bankability. According to Jon, these three things are the keys to lifting developing economies out of poverty. Currently, he

This blog series will explore the critical role of charter cities in fostering climate-resilient development across the Global South.

In the face of uncertainty surrounding the future of Kenya’s biggest refugee camps, a transformative approach emerges: turning refugee camps into semi-autonomous cities that offer refugees a second chance at

Join our research team on an exploration of the key ideas from notable thinkers in political philosophy, economics, political science, urban planning, and other traditions as they relate to charter cities in our Big Thinkers blog series.