Luis Bettencourt

Luis Bettencourt, Professor at the University of Chicago, discusses the complexity of cities and their impact on social factors. Topics include sub-linear and super-linear scaling, challenges of urban planning, walking faster in cities, slums, and the connection between infrastructure and mental health.

Exploring how cities drive economic progress through specialization and data analysis, highlighting the role of cities in fostering innovation and wealth creation. Discussions on urban transformations during the pandemic, soft interventions in public spaces, and the impact of urban changes like Beijing switching to electric vehicles.

Luis Bettencourt, Professor of Ecology and Evolution and the Inaugural Director of the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation, discusses the relationship between cities and inequality. Topics include measuring inequality, residential segregation, economic growth, urban slums, and balancing sustainability with prosperity and equity. A story of a man's struggles in the favela during COVID-19 is also shared.