The Role of Cities in Preventing Crisis

Economists increasingly note that cities are a key driving force of the modern global economy, but urbanism rarely features prominently in the conversation about economic crisis and recovery. In his new book Cities and Crisis, Josef Konvitz—a former head of urban affairs and regulatory policy at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development—examines the vulnerability of cities, the limits to existing policies to cope with threats, and the key role cities should play in any economic recovery.

Ultimately, Konvitz argues that cities are indeed at the center of crises in the 21st century. Under-investment in infrastructure, low levels of research and innovation, spiky levels of urbanization, uneven development, and a significant increase in income inequality contributed to the breakdown of the global economy in 2008. To ensure a lasting recovery, new approaches to urban development and policy are required at the regional, national, and global levels.