EPISODE · Jan 31, 2025 · 1H 44M
115 - Vera Kichanova: Lessons From Odessa
from Free Cities Podcast
Special Economic Zones, Odessa, Economic Freedom, Urban Planning, Free Cities, Urbanization, Architecture And Design, Sustainable Cities, Political Freedom, Urban Economist. Timothy Allen talks with Vera Kichanova. Vera Kichanova is the senior economist at the Free Cities Foundation and a policy researcher at Zaha Hadid Architects and King’s College London. Her PhD thesis explores the future of private urban development — from charter cities in emerging economies to start-up nations in neutral waters. Vera’s career has spanned roles including elected Municipal Councillor in Moscow, Editor-in-Chief at the Atlas Network-affiliated publication in Kyiv, and President of the Oxford Hayek Society. On today's show we explore Odessa's historical role as a model for Free Cities and Special Economic Zones, highlighting its rise in the late 18th century as a thriving economic hub due to unique governance and cultural freedoms. Vera discusses why such models are not more widely adopted today, considering competition from cities like Dubai and Singapore and the need for strong economic incentives and community engagement. The conversation also examines how Free Cities can address modern urban challenges, particularly in unstable regions, with Vera expressing optimism about the growing interest in alternative governance models. Enjoy the conversation. All the podcast links: https://linktr.ee/freeCitiesPodcast Free Cities Podcast on Fountain: https://fountain.fm/show/xudG4tsYH5TimGLfAmqn Contact the podcast: [email protected] Free Cities Telegram Community: https://t.me/+im6c6r4jQkUzMjU0 LIBERTY IN OUR LIFETIME CONFERENCE: https://libertyinourlifetime.org/ Make a small weekly donation to support the show: https://www.patreon.com/FreeCitiesPodcast/ Free Cities Foundation Newsletter: https://free-cities.org/subscribe TIMESTAMPS: (00:30) Introduction (05:37) Start of conversation (08:24) Why don't we see more Odessa's in the contemporary world? (10:37) Comparing Odessa & Dubai (13:23) The history of Odessa (18:50) Cultural innovation Dubai (28:45) The Death & Life of Great American Cities (35:40) Modern architecture and longevity (42:59) Why was Odessa so successful? (46:15) Porto Franco regimes (48:00) What initially attracted people to Odessa? (50:33) The 'Tax havens for the wealthy' narrative (52:50) What is the current state of Odessa? (59:00) Will new Free Zones be built in Ukraine? (1:06:50) Problems with governments (1:11:25) Próspera vs The Honduran government (1:20:50) Dealing with the 'them & us' narrative (1:35:10) Governments hate competition (1:40:55) Are you positive about the future? NOSTR: Timothy Allen: [email protected] Free Cities Foundation: npub1lsj8pmgedqqamt89c27tzjjnlf0wn7q7udjm7j2cl9xxz97eacns2mwpee TWITTER X: Vera Kichanova: https://twitter.com/kichanova Timothy Allen: https://twitter.com/MrTimothyAllen Free Cities Foundation: https://twitter.com/freecitiesfound WEBSITES: Vera Kichanova: https://kichanova.com/ Free Cities Foundation: https://free-cities.org/
NOW PLAYING
115 - Vera Kichanova: Lessons From Odessa
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Mar 26, 2026 ·1m
Jan 2, 2026 ·47m
Dec 21, 2025 ·46m