Proximity to millions of people means more sharing of ideas, greater cultural amenities, a wider variety of goods and services, and more diverse job opportunities. It can also mean greater exposure to crime, congestion, pollution, disease, and violence. Keeping the costs of proximity in check sometimes requires stronger and more intrusive government than people in less densely populated areas are used to.
Edward Glaeser on Strong City Government
Défense D’Uriner
Because the conventional economic analysis of crime treats norms as exogenous, it may be missing much of the action on the front lines. Creative enforcement strategies — like those employed in Bogotá, New Dehli, and New York — don’t just change behavior. They change norms.
Lübeck as the First Charter City
In an article on charter cities in The Atlantic, Sebastian Mallaby has a good summary of how the Hanseatic League of cities emerged in the Middle Ages from what was arguably the first charter city.
When Henry the Lion founded Lübeck, he wrote a charter that specified “a set of ‘most honorable civic rights,’ calculating that a city with light regulation and fair laws would attract investment easily.” The city itself was a dramatic success. It also spawned clone cities that copied its charter. See the article for the details in this remarkable historical episode. (It even has pirates!)
Discussion on America.gov's New Enterprise Blog
The New Enterprise blog on America.gov facilitates discussions between entrepreneurs from the United States and the rest of the world. Ikuemonisan Banabas Ayobami, co-founder of the Glimmer of Hope Foundation in Nigeria, recently discussed the importance of role models with Paul. Role models like Ayobami can instill in young people the productive and pro-social norms that greatly enhance the prospects for individual and economy-wide prosperity.
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