

Mark Lutter: charter cities and the urban future
8 snips Apr 6, 2025
Mark Lutter, an urban development expert and Founder of the Charter Cities Institute, dives into the transformative potential of charter cities. He discusses the challenges faced in the Prospera project in Honduras and envisions developing San Francisco's Presidio into a super-city. Lutter outlines the need for innovative governance in developing nations and explores successful models like Dubai and Singapore. He emphasizes how charter cities can act as bastions of liberty, sparking economic and cultural advancement akin to historic periods of transformation.
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Charter Cities: An Old Idea
- Charter cities aren't new; they predate empires as self-governing entities.
- Modern charter city concepts address economic development and pushing governance frontiers.
Romer's Early Charter City Projects
- Paul Romer's charter city project in Madagascar failed due to a coup, unrelated to his involvement.
- A similar project in Honduras faced controversy and legal challenges, ultimately leading to Romer's resignation.
Diversifying Governance
- Charter cities offer portfolio diversification in governance, moving beyond the nation-state model.
- The Treaty of Westphalia solidified the nation-state but likely didn't envision its global dominance centuries later.