Charter Cities Podcast

Today’s episode is a bonus episode, where we take a deep dive into the Italian Renaissance (with a focus on Venice) with world-renowned expert, Professor Corey Tazzara. From the fall of the Roman Empire to the formation of independent city-states, to the financial and political ramifications of the crusades, to the rise and fall of Venice as an economic powerhouse, this conversation has it all! We start at the beginning, with a comment on the role of the Middle Ages in the formation of society as it is today, and how the literature of the times contributed to the maintenance of the Roman Empire as a power. Despite this, there was decentralization across Europe in the 800s, and independent city-states arose. Rome regained its power from tourism and through regaining the seat of the papacy, while Florence formed the birthplace of the Renaissance through its art, culture, and adoption of investment banking. Milan became an authoritarian state, and we hear how the condottieri contributed to this. Unexpectedly, Genoa gained wealth in the loss of the War of Chioggia, while Venice was created from the marshes by refugees. The focus of the conversation shifts to the role of Venice in the Renaissance, and how it influenced society as we see it today. We learn how venture capital was created to profit from the Crusades, and how links to other cultures and societies benefitted the trade between Venice and the rest of Europe and the Middle East. Tune in to find out how the Venice of today differs from the Renaissance era Venice, and so much more, in this incredible discussion! Key Points From This Episode: •   Welcome to Corey Tazzara, professor of history at Scripps College and the world’s leading expert on medieval and early modern freeports.•   Background into the decentralization of the Roman Empire, and why we owe today’s society to the Middle Ages.•   How the literature of the Middle ages maintains the Roman Empire’s power.•   The formation of independent city-states across Europe, and how they worked.•   The role of the papacy in reviving Roman law.•   What the 12th Century Renaissance is, and how it impacted the European economy.•   How the crusades altered the trade done at the port city-states: sea vs land travel.•   Why the Fourth Crusade was the first example of venture capital.•   The radical democracies that started in the Byzantine era across Italy.•   A quick tour of the major houses at play across the city-states in the 1300s.•   The revival of Rome: from the center of an empire to a tourism hotspot.•   How Florence became a republic, and why Corey feels it is the birthplace of the Renaissance.•   Why the adoption of investment banking fueled Florence’s prosperity and the rise of the Medici family.•   Turning to Genoa: how the loss of the War of Chioggia lead to the gain of Western wealth in the centuries to come.•   The role of the condottieri in Milan’s authoritarian government and war-based economy.•   Who Francesco Sforza was, and how he served as an example of the dangers of the condottieri to political powers.•   A few honorable mentions of other city-states that had tumultuous histories throughout the Renaissance.•   The formation of Venice: how it was formed, and why its history is so different from other city-states.•   The story of St. Mark’s remains, why Mussolini hated the church of San Marco, and what these anecdotes say about Venice.•   Why Venice is the birthplace of investment banking and its role in the Fourth Crusade.•   How making Venice the gateway to the Levant drove up profit and Venetians who changed the world.•   A summary of the corporatist society underpinning Venetian finance.•   Why Venice can be likened to the North Korea of Renaissance Italy, and the roles of family ties in broadening its reach.•   How Venice became a cultural melting pot (relatively speaking) in the Middle Ages.•   The American pioneers of capitalism who were inspired by the Renaissance era of Venice.•   The end of the Italian Renaissance: the external and internal factors that contributed to its decline.•   Why shifting its focus to tourism in the 16th and 17th centuries was key to Venice's ongoing prosperity, and why it became so popular with Western tourists.•   Corey’s research into free ports in the Italian Renaissance: a teaser for the next discussion!   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Corey TazzaraCorey Tazzara EmailCorey Tazzara on Google ScholarVenice: A New HistoryThe DecameronErik Prince TitlesCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on Twitter

The Ukraine-Russia conflict has dominated headlines over the past few months, with countless theories and hypotheses being touted to explain Russia’s aggression. Join us as we talk to one of the world’s leading experts on violence and politics, Professor Chris Blattman. We start the episode with an explanation of why Chris chose to write his latest book Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace, and how he can apply the logic within to explain Putin's motivations and behavior. We learn why peace is a better driver for innovation and competition than war, and what Chris feels about the controversial observations made by John Mearsheimer about the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Tune in to learn what the George Washington example is, and the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in the rising levels of violence within the USA. We next move on to the role of CBT in reducing violence across the globe, with some insightful examples of Mr. Rogers-like personas across Africa who Chris has worked with. This episode is jam-packed with tons of fascinating insights into current affairs, how to best tackle poverty, theoretical debate and so much more. Join us today as we talk to a true role model and thought leader on another episode of the Charter Cities podcast. Key Points From This Episode: •   An introduction to Chris Blattman, author, economist, political scientist, expert on violence, and seasoned peacebuilder.•   The inspiration behind why Chris wrote Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace.•   Chris’s response to John Mearsheimer’s observations on the Ukraine-Russia conflict.•   Why Chris is content that his book was published before Russia invaded Ukraine.•   The five logics of war applied to the Ukraine-Russia conflict: unchecked interests, intangible incentives, uncertainty, commitment problems, and misperceptions.•   Why Chris feels that peace drives competition and innovation better than war.•   The George Washington example: what it means and how it can be applied to other situations.•   Why Chris is interested in applying Machiavellian logic to his research and blogging.•   How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted levels of violence within the USA, and why.•   Why the Mr. Rogers principle is so effective, and examples Chris has come across in other countries.•   CBT and how it can be applied to reduce poverty.•   The monetary values associated with CBT across different cultures.•   Why oversimplifying complex problems is bad for the solution, and why including locals in the solution is key to success.•   An example of one of Chris’ RCTs that failed!•   Why Chris feels that he might have had a larger impact on society if he had moved into consulting in Africa.•   The factors that helped to make the Harris School the success it is today.•   Why Chris thinks giving cash is more effective at reducing poverty than other interventions.•   How decentralizing power will be the ultimate solution to poverty.•   Chris’s thoughts on the Charter Cities Institute and goals.•   Where Chris is now, and the issues he will be researching in the next five years.   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Chris Blattman on LinkedInChris BlattmanWhy We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to PeaceThe Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has DeclinedCharles Tilley on LinkedInJohn McCormick on LinkedInInclusive Economy LabAnti-Politics Machine: Development, Depoliticization, and Bureaucratic Power in LesothoGambling on Development: Why Some Countries Win and Others LoseEconlib: Chris Blattman on Chickens, Cash, and Development EconomicsNic Blum on LinkedInMichael KremerDaniel Diermeier on LinkedInBill Gates wants to give the poor chickens. What they need is cashGiveDirectlyInternational Rescue CommitteeInternational Crisis GroupHuman Rights WatchMedecins Sans FrontieresBellingcatInternational Republican InstituteNational Democratic InstituteThe Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir PutinCities and the Wealth of Nations: Principles of Economic LifeCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on Twitter

In order to build the cities of the future, there is a need for synergy between a number of elements and institutions and, as philanthropy evolves with the times, an active approach to impacting the necessary changes means an understanding of these sometimes disparate forces. Joining us on the show today to discuss his philanthropic philosophy and plans is the Founder of GitLab, Sid Sijbrandij. Sid is also a supporter of the Charter Cities Institute while occupying an active role in the nutrition, software, crypto, and non-profits spaces. Today, he generously shares his thoughts on what is needed right now in order to push things forward for the next generation of cities. We discuss GitLab’s approach to helping Ukraine and their contingent of employees who live in the country and we touch on what needs attention in the longer term, especially with regards to bridging gaps between separate industries or institutions for shared benefit before Sid shares his thoughts on how AI will influence philanthropy in the coming years and what he hopes to see in the cities of the future. To hear all this and much more from a very special guest, join us on Seeding the Future!Key Points From This Episode:•   GitLab's current focus on helping Ukraine and its employees stationed there.•   The role of new technology in providing aid for Ukraine.•   Motivations for Sid's philanthropy and how he frames his efforts. •   Creative opportunities presented by remote work and new cities.•   Considering the different avenues through which Sid explores impacting positive change.•   Sid's thoughts on where new wealth might go and how innovation can lead to impact.•   Areas that could be improved upon; bringing together wisdom from different spaces.   •   The things that Sid looks for when assessing a new team or organization to work with.•   AI and philanthropy in the 21st century; Sid weighs in on where we are headed. •   What happens when money transfers between generations and how it impacts philanthropy.•   Sid's predictions about the geography of wealth and giving.•   Transparency and opinions in a big company; why Sid stands by this model.•   Amenities that Sid values in the charter cities of the future.•   Factors that would have a positive influence on philanthropic involvement in charter cities. •   The excitement that Sid holds for longer-term projects. •   Important questions in the discussion on the future of philanthropy.•   Balancing the roles of the state and philanthropic institutions for public goods. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Sid Sijbrandij on TwitterGitLabGiveWellJohn ArnoldLionsRotaryBanksyCaroline WhistlerThird SectorCharter Cities Institute

Welcome to Seeding the Future, a podcast from the Charter Cities Institute, where we explore how giving and philanthropy are changing as wealth is created in new industries, at younger ages, and by more diverse demographics. In this inaugural epode, we hear from John Arnold, American philanthropist, former Enron executive, and Founder of Arnold Ventures, about philanthropy for policy change. John hit it big trading natural gas in the 1990s and 2000s, going on to found one of the most successful energy trading hedge funds, Centaurus Energy, after leaving Enron. He now ranks as one of the world's richest people, with a net worth well over a billion dollars, and runs Arnold Ventures (formerly the Laura and John Arnold Foundation) with his wife, an organization doing groundbreaking work in criminal justice reform. Today, John shares how education reform, system design, and public policy inform his giving and some of the challenges he has encountered in advocating for policy. We discuss political polarization, crypto wealth, and their impact on philanthropy and John shares his interesting perspective on nonprofits as third parties that can solve problems in areas that governments and the private sector can’t, plus so much more! Make sure not to miss this conversation with the billionaire philanthropist taking on criminal justice reform, John Arnold.Key Points From This Episode:•   How education reform, system design, and public policy have informed John’s philanthropy.•   What his strategy for impact entails when it comes to advocating for policy.•   Major changes John has witnessed in philanthropy, including a shift to ‘giving while living’.•   Bridging the gap between founders and the nonprofit world with patience and commitment.•   Why John believes nonprofits need to be more direct with donors.•   Challenges that come with advocating for policy, particularly in the criminal justice space.•   Political polarization and philanthropy; what role nonprofits can play in voting reform.•   How decentralized crypto wealth will impact the philanthropy of the future.•   Global conflict resolution efforts and why organizations have lost momentum in this area.•   Finding problems that philanthropy can solve by looking in areas that are too politically or financially risky for the government or the private sector.•   John’s thoughts on the disconnect between philanthropic intent and philanthropic action.•   The inherent flaws of donor-advised funds that the ACE Act seeks to solve.•   Why John is impressed by philanthropic efforts in the climate change space.•   Why he encourages founders, philanthropists, and nonprofits not to wait until tomorrow.•   How to address the issue of connecting nonprofits with donors and vice versa. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:John D. Arnold on TwitterArnold Ventures‘Against Big Bets’Charter Cities InstituteSkye Lawrence on LinkedIn

Across the global south, cities are growing outwards instead of upwards. Talking to us today about why this is a bad thing for commuters, is urban planning researcher Heba Elhanafy. We dive into the episode with an overview of what the newly released planning guidelines cover, and how new city making has evolved. We hear about the three topics the planning guidelines tackle (how the global south builds, what works, and what doesn't work), and why a single developer working on a city is less effective than multiple developers and shareholders. Heba breaks down the benefits of building bottom-up, instead of top-down, and describes what developers can expect to learn from the planning guidelines. We also hear about two examples of urban planning done right: the Manhattan example, and the much smaller scale Ethiopian Urban Expansion initiative. Tune in to learn how communities help the expansion and growth of a development, and how planning a city can help lift people out of poverty. We wrap up the episode with some of Heba's personal experiences of traffic living in cities across the global south, and why she believes a new model needs to be implemented. So, for all this and so much more, press “Play” now! Key Points From This Episode: •   Welcome to today’s guest, urban researcher Heba Elhanafy.•   What the newly released planning guidelines cover.•   How new city-making has changed over time.•   The three topics the planning guide looks at: how the global south builds, what works, and what doesn’t work.•   Why one developer building a city is a bad idea.•   The benefits of building bottom-up, instead of top-down.•   How planning can assist chartering cities that lift people out of poverty.•   Why the planning guidelines will help developers.•   An example of the Ethiopian Urban Expansion Initiative.•   Understanding that communities will help with the expansion and growth of a development.•   The Manhattan example, as a large-scale example.•   Enhancing mobility within a city, and the benefits to workers.•   Why building up is better than building out. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Heba Elhanafy on LinkedInCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on Twitter

In January 2020, the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission published ‘Living with beauty’, a report that has led to a new national design guide and model design code with changes to the national policy. The policy changes replaced the word ‘good design’ with ‘beauty’, but is there more to beauty than just appearance? Joining us to discuss the beautification of urban spaces today is Dr. Samuel Hughes, a Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange, a Research Fellow in Philosophy, Theology, and Religion at Oxford University, and a frequent commentator on issues ranging from architecture and urbanism to aesthetics. He was also Sir Roger Scruton's researcher on the Building Beautiful Commission. His focus at Policy Exchange is on understanding why the quantity and quality of new homes and neighborhoods is so inadequate in the UK and developing policy instruments to improve them. In this episode, we discuss the consideration of aesthetics in the urban planning process, the concept of beauty as a benchmark that all new developments should meet, and how empowering residents to design their own streets can help solve the housing crisis that the UK is currently facing. We also touch on survivorship bias; data, technology, and aesthetics; and the cost of suburbia, as well as the positive and negative aspects of path dependency, and more! Make sure to join us today for a fascination conversation about the ‘new’ urban aesthetic with Dr. Samuel Hughes.Key Points From This Episode:•   How Samuel’s philosophy studies have influenced his views on urbanism and architecture.•   His reflections on the role that aesthetics or ‘beauty’ plays in UK urban planning debates.•   How the win-win model for ‘street votes’ impacts the future of UK cities.•   Samuel describes what he calls a bobtailed version of street votes in Houston, Texas.•   Why he believes we find older buildings more attractive than contemporary architecture.•   Survivorship bias versus loss of skills necessary to replicate ‘more beautiful’ architecture.•   The appetite that fueled the dramatic shift in architectural style post WWI, and gave birth to Brutalism, for example.•   Samuel shares why he believes that architects tend to make bad urban planners.•   How modern simulation and design technology have changed the built environment.•   The role empirical data plays in influencing the aesthetics of the built environment.•   While he doesn’t share the contempt for suburbia that many of his peers have, Samuel acknowledges that it imposes enormous costs.•   What the west can learn about architecture and urban form from places like Japan.•   German architecture as an example of path dependency as a positive and negative force.•   Samuel’s advice for building a new city: design institutional structures in cities that will allow those cities to evolve over time.•   Learn more about Samuel’s book on philosophical approaches to artistic modernism. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Dr. Samuel HughesDr. Samuel Hughes on LinkedInDr. Samuel Hughes on TwitterPolicy Exchange‘Living with beauty’‘Against the survival of the prettiest’Charter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on Twitter

Joining us in conversation today is Scott Beyer, the Founder and CEO of the Market Urbanism Report, a media company dedicated to advancing the free market’s classically liberal approach to urban issues. Tune in to hear Scott’s definition of market urbanism and how it relates to the traditional free market. He describes how his audience varies drastically from a partisan and ideological perspective and tells us why this happens, before highlighting cities across the world that embody aspects of his vision for market urbanism and talking about how private cities around the world implement liberalization. We touch on how market urbanism’s approach to zoning differs from the Euclidean model, speak about MTRs, and delve into the history of transportation with a focus on the railway. Scott points us toward an article he penned with the hypothesis that introducing open access competition can serve to benefit inner city rail, before getting into other areas of infrastructure and why smaller governments often get it right. You’ll also hear about construction, quasi-public housing, and Scott’s predictions for how crypto will impact how cities are run. Join us to hear all this and more today!Key Points From This Episode: •   An introduction to today’s guest, Scott Beyer.•   What market urbanism is and what the Market Urbanism Report involves.•   The relationship between the market urbanist and the traditional free market communities.•   How Scott’s audience varies drastically from a partisan and ideological perspective.•   Why this happens: people who like the urbanism aspect tend to be on the left, and then the people who like the market aspect tend to be on the right.•   His opinion that no city in the US perfectly embodies market urbanism.•   Free market oriented transit in Mexico City: Peseros or Jitneys.•   The incentive that the Singaporean government has put in place to build housing.•   How private cities around the world implement liberalization, for example, Gurgaon, India.•   How market urbanism zoning differs from the kind of zoning we have now.•   The differentiation that the Euclidean model necessitates in comparison to the market urbanism model.•   Shoup-piling and how Scott would go about this as someone who writes for the public.•   MTRs relationship with zoning regulations.•   The history of transportation and how the railway began to really struggle.•   “Open Access” Competition Can Improve Intercity Rail, the article he recently co-authored.•   His views on what is possible in terms of creating open access competition for intercity rail.•   How the private sector creates a barrier to entry in terms of infrastructure.•   Why the smaller government spend on infrastructure is usually wiser than the federal government.•   What cross laminated timber is and how it is useful for the future of construction.•   Why he isn’t completely opposed to the idea of public or quasi-public housing.•   His predictions for the impact of cryptocurrency on how cities are operated in the future.•   What Municipal Utility Districts are and how they impact housing and urban development.•   Scott weighs in on what needs to be in place within a state for market urbanism to take off.•   The world tour he is doing for research purposes to assess the future of urbanization globally.•   We discuss the concept of cyperpunk, green punk and solar punk cities, with Tapei as an example. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Scott Beyer on LinkedInSlow Boring“Open Access” Competition Can Improve Intercity RailMarket Urbanism ReportCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on Twitter

Today’s guest is Ed Glaeser, a Professor of Economics at Harvard University, and he joins us to talk about urbanization and urban planning. Ed has written, or co-authored several books, including The Triumph of The City, and more recently, Survival of the City: Living and Thriving in an Age of Isolation, published this year with David Cutler. Our conversation begins on the subject of the rapid urbanization of parts of the developing world such as India and Sub-Saharan Africa. We explore what lessons can be learned in this regard from the urbanization of Latin America in the 1960s. Our exchange moves to touch on ways of urbanizing without industrialization or via services rather than manufacturing. Shifting onto the topic of urban governance, we hear Ed’s thoughts on the 15-minute city concept, how to overcome political constraints to construction such as vetocracy, and how to push back against cars when they stand as status symbols to the newly rich. We also get into why the schools in big US cities are failing and how to deal with the rising carbon emissions that come as developing countries urbanize. We then talk about COVID-related challenges to productivity and the supply chain, before wrapping up on the subject of whether charter cities are a way of experimenting with pro-entrepreneurship institutions.Key Points From This Episode:•   The lessons to be learned from Latin America’s urbanization regarding transport and more.•   Countries that have become urbanized without being industrialized.•   The connection between urbanization and moving out of poverty.•   Perspectives on manufacturing versus service-led paths toward transformation.•   Whether there is a distinction between urban migrants who arrive due to ‘pull’ versus ‘push’ factors.•   Ed’s thoughts on whether secondary cities can be as productive as primary ones.•   The contrast between entrepreneurship and poor living conditions in Mumbai’s Dharavi slum.•   Under which conditions private provision (PPP) works best and worst.•   What we can learn from large urban infrastructure projects built in the 1970s.•   Whether there are examples of cities that are good at combatting vetocracy.•   The leaders behind cities that have experienced massive urbanization.•   Why Ed thinks the 15-minute city is a dead-end concept but agrees with some aspects of it.•   How to push back against environmentally damaging status symbols for the newly rich as a planner.•   The factors that contribute to suburbanization and whether China is headed that way.•   How to deal with the rising carbon emissions that come as developing countries urbanize.•   Why large cities in the US are failing on the schooling front and Ed’s thoughts on a solution.•   Ed’s thoughts on a land-grant university model in developing countries.•   How to grapple with current COVID-related supply chain challenges.•   Productivity after social distancing in light of the connection between density and productivity.•   Why London and New York are still the only truly global cities.•   Whether charter cities are a way of experimenting with pro-entrepreneurship institutions. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Ed GlaeserNational Bureau of Economic ResearchTriumph of The CitySurvival of the City: Living and Thriving in an Age of IsolationDavid CutlerCities in The Developing WorldCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on Twitter

“The North American development pattern, the way we build our cities, creates a lot of liabilities and not enough wealth, financially, to actually take care of those liabilities.” These are the words of today’s guest Charles “Chuck” Marohn. Chuck is the founder and president of Strong Towns, as well as a professional engineer and land use planner with decades of experience. He is also the author of Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity and Confessions of a Recovering Engineer. In this episode, Chuck sheds light on how the way in which we build our cities has drastically changed since before the Great Depression and how the current North American development pattern creates towns and cities that lack the wealth to be able to maintain their critical infrastructure and take care of their own futures. Tuning in you’ll hear how the problems of Ferguson, Missouri can be attributed to this pattern, how northeastern cities compare with southwestern cities based on their development since World War II, and why Chuck has more hope for the future of Detroit than the future of Phoenix. For an eye-opening conversation on how we need to adapt in order to build strong towns, tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:•   Charles “Chuck” Marohn explains how Strong Towns is both an organization and a movement.•   How the North American development pattern creates towns and cities that are unable to take care of their own futures.•   Why Chuck believes that the way cities grow today has a Ponzi scheme-like aspect to it.•   Thoughts on what percentage of the liabilities are covered by Wall Street capital versus state and federal.•   How northeastern cities compare with southwestern cities based on their development since World War II.•   Ferguson, Missouri as an example of a once affluent area that has aged and is experiencing this distress.•   How the way in which we build our cities has drastically changed since the pre-Great Depression.•   Why Chuck is excited about the neighborhoods in Detroit where they are reusing old buildings instead of tearing them down.•   The concept of the Paris 15-minute city and what Chuck likes about it.•   Thoughts on other countries that have copied the North American development pattern.•   A comparison between the development styles of cities in the Netherlands versus those of Belgium and why the cities in the Netherlands are doing better.•   What we can learn from Amsterdam transitioning from a car-centric environment to a pedestrian and bicycle-centric environment.•   What we should expect southwestern American cities like Phoenix to look like in 30 years.•   What Chuck would do if building a new town or a new city from scratch.•   The lesson we can learn from the shift from the 20th century to the 21st century. •   Thoughts on Manhattan’s framework for development.•   The concept of a “good party” and why the ratio of private to public investment is more important than the density ratio.•   Chuck’s thoughts on the YIMBY movement.•   Insight into what became of civil engineering.•   Thoughts on why the local Government has become so ineffective and so overburdened.•   What it means to build a Strong Towns movement and what we can expect from it over the next 5 to 10 years. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Charles Marohn on LinkedInCharles Marohn on TwitterStrong TownsStrong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American ProsperityConfessions of a Recovering EngineerCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on Twitter

Because of the pervasive media coverage of Trumpism, Brexit, and the like, it is easy to assume that the dominant sentiment around the world is that mass migration is a new and terrifying phenomenon that could upend the world as we know it. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth, and we’ve brought Parag Khanna, founder of FutureMap, to explain why. Not only has most of the world remained pragmatic about the topic, but mass migration has been occurring for decades, and although there are some exceptions, in the majority of cases, societies have absorbed the newcomers and the newcomers have assimilated remarkably well. Parag is an Asian-American who has also lived in Europe, and his personal perspective combined with the in-depth research that he has conducted around migration, sustainability, community, governance, citizenship and more, reveals a lot about what drives us to do the things we do, and offers a glimpse of what our future could look like. Key Points From This Episode: •   Parag shares his thoughts on why the US should (hypothetically) buy Greenland.•   The premise of Parag’s new book, Move.•   Two megatrends that are currently shaping the world.•   Four potential futures that Parag thinks we are heading for.•   Immigration policies in the UK, US, and Canada, and what these indicate about the future.•   Changes in migration dynamics since Parag’s school days, and what is driving those changes.•   The sentiment amongst European politicians about migrants that Parag has picked up through his research.•   How societies have historically dealt with mass migration.•   High volumes of migration that take place in East and South-East Asia.•   Value that lies in having civilizational confidence.•   Parag explains how Germany is breaking open the definition of what German-ness is.•   A brief analysis of the migration situation in the UAE.•   Primary factors which motivate the migration of Western expats.•   The nuanced nature of citizenship.•   Sustainability, mobility, and connectivity from the perspective of the youth of today, and Parag’s opinion on where these ideas emerged from.•   How definitions of community have changed, and how they are changing now.•   The important role that cities are going to play in coming migrations.•   Parag explains what the mobile real estate phenomenon is, and what is driving it.•   Why Parag does not think de-urbanization is a major trend, although it is being talked about as if it is.•   Plans that Parag has for the future. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Parag KhannaFuture MapCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on Twitter