Political Change and Local Governance in Emerging Cities (Emerging Cities)

Megacities draw attention as the world rapidly urbanizes, but most people live in smaller urban centers.

Within these cities, there are sites of intense conflict, but also examples of successful governance and equitable development. What explains these differences?

Emerging Cities develops a collaborative research environment to explain four outcomes: inclusive decision-making, avenues of urban claim-making, peaceful co-existence between host populations and migrants, and equitable development.

The project brings together researchers from higher education institutions working on and based in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East/North Africa.

Our goal is to implement research in three secondary cities in each of Brazil, Ghana, and Tunisia; develop theoretical insights into governance and development; and disseminate findings to scholars, policymakers, and practitioners.

In the four-year project, we will use mixed methods, including key-informant interviews and focus group discussions (Year 1), household surveys (Year 2), and experiments with local leaders (Year 3). Finally, we will hold in-country dissemination workshops (Year 4) to inform local policymakers and practitioners.

The project will improve the external validity of local and urban political theories and contribute new insights into governance and development in the parts of the world where most people live. This new research environment will then serve as an incubator for urban policy reforms worldwide.