2016

By the end of the twenty-first century, the process of urbanisation will be by and large completed on this planet. As a result, what happens in cities will increasingly come to dominate economic, environmental, social and political outcomes of countries. The session will discuss the challenges and opportunities connected with urbanisation. In particular, it will look at the drivers of economic productivity in cities, as well as the role of administrative fragmentation and governance structures in metropolitan areas for their prosperity and well-being.

Relator: Dr. Rudiger Ahrend

Dr. Rudiger Ahrend is Head of the Urban Programme in the OECD’s Directorate for Public Governance and Territorial Development. In this capacity, he has been supervising numerous urban projects, for example on metropolitan development and governance and national urban policies. He has also supervised numerous reviews and case studies of major metropolitan agglomerations, and is the main author of “The Metropolitan Century: Understanding Urbanisation and its Consequences”. As Head of the Urban Programme, Dr. Ahrend is also in charge of the OECD Working Party on Urban Policies, as well as the OECD Roundtable of Mayors and Ministers. Prior to joining OECD, he worked as a researcher and independent consultant. In addition to his OECD work, Dr. Ahrend has published widely, both in academic journals and newspapers. Rudiger Ahrend holds a PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics, as well as degrees in Social Sciences and Mathematics from the University of Göttingen, Paris-IX Dauphine, and the Sorbonne.