HKS Affiliated Authors
Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics, FAS
Excerpt
Excerpt
A World of Cities: The Causes and Consequences of Urbanization in Poorer Countries. Edward Glaeser, December 2013, Paper. "Historically, urban growth required enough development to grow and transport significant agricultural surpluses or a government effective enough to build an empire. But there has been an explosion of poor mega-cities over the last 30 years. A simple urban model illustrates that in closed economies, agricultural prosperity leads to more urbanization, but that in an open economy, urbanization increases with agricultural desperation. The challenge of developing world mega-cities is that poverty and weak governance..." Link