104. Creating cities for transformative development

Mr. Morial is the former mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, and current President and CEO of the National Urban League. The National Urban League is a civil rights group that promotes equality, social justice, and economic empowerment. The National Urban League spearheads social programs, public policy research, and advocacy efforts in over 300 communities across the U.S. to shrink the wealth gap in underserved communities. Through a combination of education, entrepreneurship, and job training, the National Urban League looks to create self-reliance and reinvigorate small- and medium-sized cities. Many thinkers believe that the best indication of a society’s development is its ability to increase population. If population is increasing, that means there are sufficient resources, from food, water, or income, to support life. In 1798, Thomas Malthus, a famous economist from the 19th century, published his seminal work, An Essay on the Principle of Population. Here, Malthus theorized how increased agricultural production led to a higher population, but not necessarily improved standards of living; this is known as the Malthusian Trap. To Arthur Lewis, a Nobel-winning economist from the 20th century, population growth was a necessary prerequisite for the improvement of living conditions. Once food production was capable of increasing population, people would begin flocking towards cities, which would then improve living standards as they became hubs of investment. Lewis termed this dynamic the Lewis Turning Point. Today, some thinkers, such as Esther Duflo, a leading development economist, are rethinking the Malthusian Trap or the Lewis Turning Point, trying to understand how people in cities grow out of poverty and advance their standard of living.   Cities are economic hubs for the United States. They are often centers of population, jobs, resources, transportation, finance, healthcare, or even social services. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, small- and medium-sized metro areas, make up about 90% of the United States’ GDP. When I say cities, everyone is probably thinking of Chicago, New York, or San Francisco; but these are just the biggest, most memorable ones. America is also comprised of hundreds of smaller cities that, taken together, are an important part of America’s economic engine. As of 2022, there are 263 urban centers with populations between 100,000-300,000 people. These are places like Worcester, Massachusetts, Pasadena California, or Odessa, Texas. 59 urban centers have populations between 300,000 to 1 million. This includes cities like San Antonio, Texas, Memphis, Tennessee, or places like New Orleans, Louisiana, where our guest was born and raised. Needless to say, these cities can be forgotten when it comes to public policy or investment. Everyone thinks of those big flashy cities like New York or San Francisco, while the others are left behind. Our guest today spoke not just of the importance of cities, but how we can make them better places to develop better standards of living for everyone. Mr. Morial earned his bachelor’s degree in African American Studies and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and his JD from Georgetown University. Together, we discussed how living conditions in New Orleans changed since Mr. Morial’s mayorship, how many cities across the US face similar deterioration, and how the country can produce transformative development for future generations. To check out more of our content, including our research and policy tools, visit our website: https://www.hgsss.org/