For most of human history, people lived on the edge of survival. In the past two centuries, we have miraculously moved towards far greater prosperity through transformations, above all, in cities. Urbanization holds the potential of transforming the developing world. While the transition from farm to city is filled with economic, social, and political promises, urbanization also poses enormous challenges-the breakdown of public services, congestion, pollution, and crime. With the right policies cities can lead transformative change-providing jobs, creating prosperity, and lifting millions out of poverty. What policies can help harness this unprecedented urbanization and address the vast inequalities of access and opportunity that cities present today? What makes cities more competitive? This book answers these and other important questions. The volume emphasizes the need to rethink cities and to imagine a better urban future by providing the reader with diverse perspectives on urbanization such as the changing economic landscape, city competitiveness, entrepreneurship, inclusion, informality, sustainability, and provision of essential services. The book would help chart a path towards competitive and people-centered cities.Table of Contents: List of Tables, Figures, Boxes, and Maps Preface Acknowledgments Rethinking Cities Edward Glaeser and Abha Joshi-Ghani 1 Urbanization as Opportunity Brandon Fuller and Paul Romer 2 The Shifting Urban Economic Landscape: What Does It Mean for Cities? Richard Dobbs and Jaana Remes 3 Urbanization and the Geography of Development J. Vernon Henderson 4 Analyzing Urban Systems: Have Megacities Become Too Large? Klaus Desmet and Esteban Rossi-Hansberg 5 Are Cities the New Growth Escalator? Enrico Moretti 6 Entrepreneurship, Public Policy, and Cities Joshua Lerner 7 Urbanization and (In)Formalization Ejaz Ghani and Ravi Kanbur 8 Bridging Divides: Enabling Urban Capabilities Saskia Sassen 9 Th e Great Migration: Urban Aspirations Michael Keith 10 Infrastructure: Doing More with Less Jonathan Woetzel and Herbert Pohl 11 Urban Transport: Can Public-Private Partnerships Work? Eduardo Engel and Alexander Galetovic 12 Sustainable and Smart Cities Matthew E. Kahn 13 Housing Matters Sonia Hammam 14 Converting Land into Aff ordable Housing Floor Space Alain Bertaud 15 Housing and Urbanization in Africa: Unleashing a Formal Market Process Paul Collier and Anthony J. Venables Index About the Editors and Contributors