Private Cities in the Developing World: Has Their Time Come?

Institutional constraints and weak capacity often hamper the ability of local governments in developing countries to steer urbanization. As a result, there are not enough cities to accommodate an unabated rural-urban migration and many of those that exist are messy, sprawling, and disconnected. The flipside is the emergence of entire cities—more than gated communities or industrial parks—led in whole or in part by private actors. To assess the emergence of private cities, the authors examined 14 cases across the developing world in the recent World Bank paper, Private Cities: Outstanding Examples from Developing Countries and Their Implications for Urban Policy. In this event, the authors and discussants will explore the conditions that create these private cities, who these private actors are, and the implications for urban policy.

Expert panelists will include the two authors of the World Bank report, Martin Rama, Consultant, Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions Vice Presidency, World Bank, and Yue Li, Senior Economist, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, in discussion with Rana Hasan, Regional Lead Economist for South Asia, Asian Development Bank, and Robert Helsley, Grosvenor Professor of Cities, Business Economics and Public Policy, Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia.

Speakers

Martín Rama is currently a consultant for the Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions Vice Presidency at the World Bank and a Senior Economic Advisor for EnCity Group in Singapore. He served as chief economist for the Latin America and Caribbean region of the World Bank from 2019 to 2021, and as the chief economist for its South Asia region (based in Delhi) from 2013 to 2018. Previously he was the director of the World Development Report (WDR) 2013 on Jobs. From 2002 to 2010, Martín Rama was based in Hanoi, where he led the economic program of the World Bank in Vietnam. Prior to moving to operations, he spent 10 years with the research department of the World Bank. In parallel with his World Bank duties, from 1990 to 2005 he was visiting professor at the graduate program in development economics at the Université de Paris I. Martín Rama gained his degree in economics from the Universidad de la República (Uruguay) in 1981 and his PhD in macroeconomics from the Université de Paris I (France) in 1985. 

Yue Li has been a senior economist at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank since 2021, leading the research and data unit in its Economics Department. Previously a senior economist at the World Bank, she also served in the World Bank’s research department, economists’ network, Office of the Chief Economist for South Asia, and global investment climate unit. Her research centers on international economics, firm dynamics, economic geography, and urban economics. She holds a PhD in economics from Rutgers University, a master’s degree in economics and political science from Syracuse University, and a bachelor’s degree from Peking University.

Rana Hasan is regional lead economist for South Asia in Asian Development Bank’s Economic Research and Development Impact Department. His research areas and interests include industrial development, labor economics, urban economics, and poverty and inequality. He has previously served as a director in ADB’s research department and as fellow at the East-West Center (USA). Rana has published in various journals including the Journal of Comparative Economics, Journal of Development Economics, Review of Economics and Statistics, and World Development. He has co-edited two volumes on trade and labor related issues. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Maryland and a master's degree in economics from the Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi.

Robert W. Helsley

Dr. Robert W. Helsley is the Grosvenor Professor of Cities, Business Economics and Public Policy at the University of British Columbia. He earned his MA and PhD degrees in economics at Princeton University, and a BS in economics (with honors) and mathematics at the University of Oregon. He has published widely in the areas of urban and public economics, real estate and public policy. 

Dr. Helsley served as Dean of the UBC Sauder School of Business from 2012-22, and under his leadership, the School expanded its research profile, introduced a number of innovative new programs and experiences for students, increased the diversity and transparency of its governance, developed innovative cross-campus collaborations, and expanded its global partnerships. During his tenure, the school became a key driver of innovation and entrepreneurship both at UBC and in the larger community. His commitment to responsible leadership and the importance of values and ethics in business has fostered a culture of collaboration and respect, along with greater engagement and outreach to the external community.

Prior to becoming Dean at UBC Sauder, Dr. Helsley served as Senior Associate Dean, Faculty and Research from 2002 to 2008, and prior to this, as Director of the UBC Centre for Real Estate and Urban Economics, and Chair of the Urban Land Economics division. Between 2008 and 2012, Dr. Helsley was a Professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, and served as co-chair of the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics. He has held a variety of editorial positions, including serving as co-editor of the Journal of Urban Economics from 2009 to 2012. His teaching has focused on courses in urban and real estate economics, managerial economics, and microeconomic theory.

Moderator

Gilles Duranton is Dean's Chair in Real Estate Professor at The Wharton School. His research focuses on urban and regional development, transportation, and local public finance. Prior to joining the Real Estate Department in 2012, Duranton taught at the University of Toronto for seven years, and the London School of Economics for nine years. He is the co-editor of the Journal of Urban Economics, and is an editorial board member for several other journals. He is also affiliated with the Centre for Economic Policy Research in London, the Spatial Economics Research Centre at the London School of Economics, and the Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis. He currently serves as the Chair of the Real Estate department at The Wharton School.