There’s a lot of buzz about cities these days—and for good reason. Although cities occupy only 2 percent of the world’s land, they account for 55 percent of the world’s population, and 70 percent of the world’s economic activity. Yet in the US and in many places around the world, cities have greater income inequality than the rest of a nation. As the world continues to rapidly urbanize, inequality and the challenges associated with it will only become more severe—unless we can turn those challenges into opportunities for change.
We’re proud to present a series of articles related to the challenges of urban equity:
- Lina Hidalgo, an MPP student running for Harris County Judge in Houston, writes about the importance of early childhood education in reducing inequality, in Houston and beyond.
- Francisca Villalobos examines how a low-income informal settlement in Chile was able to fight against discrimination and persistent segregation to finance new, high-quality housing.
- Emily Broas and Angel Quicksey focus on ways to overcome the digital divide through broadband equity.
- HKS Professor Quinton Mayne writes about the need for electoral legitimacy and competitiveness in our cities, should we hope for democratic outcomes.
- Max Nathanson, a Master’s student in Oxford’s Department of International Development, writes about how the new China-Pak Economic Corridor in Pakistan might – or might not – lead to more equitable development outcomes for Pakistan’s people.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash