By 2100, it is projected that 80-90% of the world population will live in cities. What will these cities look like? What will people's lives in those cities look like? 

The answers to these questions will be largely determined by how cities respond to many of the global trends and challenges they already face today: migration and demography, globalization, climate change, and of course contagious diseases. 

After all, large cities around the world were the places where the Covid-19 pandemic hit first and its impact was probably felt most strongly. This applied not only to the social and economic function associated with city centers, but also to their cultural and civic role as spaces for communal engagement and creativity. The drastic impact on city dwellers' lives has led many to question the "urban normal" and revitalized the idea of cities as hubs for innovation and experimentation for a more sustainable future. What can we learn from the experiences and the experiments of municipal authorities and urban communities over the course of this crisis to better face the challenges of our coming urban 21st century? 

We discussed these questions and more with Dr Aziza Akhmouch, Head of the Cities, Urban Policy and Sustainable Development Division (@OECD_local) at the OECD (@OECD), where she manages a diverse team of analysts and economists advising national governments on new data, evidence and guidance on a wide range of policies to encourage smart, inclusive, competitive and sustainable cities. 

In the Research Feature segment, Dr Carolina Aguerre, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Global Cooperation Research, introduces her project on “Internet governance and data issues: future paths of cooperation mechanisms?“ where she looks at questions concerning possibilities for cooperation in polycentric Internet governance in the age of big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI).  

Find more of Carolina‘s research on Internet governance in Latin America here (PDF) or on digital trade here (PDF). 

If you have feedback or questions for us, we look forward to your comments to our twitter account @GCR_21 via the hashtag #cooperadiopodcast or you can get in touch via e-mail: [email protected]. 

Our guests of this episode are also on Twitter: @Akhmouch and @carolinaaguerre 

Timestamps: 

00:00 - Introduction

03:45 - Interview with Aziza Akhmouch

40:54 - Research Feature: Carolina Aguerre

Further reading: 

OECD briefing note: Cities Policy Responses to Covid-19

Champion Mayors Initiative 

UN HABITAT: Cities and Pandemics: Towards a more just, green and healthy future 

The Future of Conviviality in  a City Reshaped by the Pandemic, presentation of Deyan Sudjic, Design Museum London 

The 100-million-city (The Guardian)