½­ÄÏÌåÓý

Coming Soon

9th Urbanization and Development Conference

The 9th Urbanization and Development Conference will focus on the theme of urban economics for Africa.

Add to Calendar 11-06-2025 09:00 12-06-2025 17:00 America/New_York 9th Urbanization and Development Conference Hello,\n\nThis is a reminder to join us virtually on World Bank: 9th Urbanization and Development Conference \n\nAbout the event: The 9th Urbanization and Development Conference will focus on the theme of urban economics for Africa. \n\nGo to event page: /en/events/2025/06/11/9th-urbanization-and-development-conference \n\nWe look forward to seeing you! \n\n WORLD BANK - \nDevelopment Events Brought to You Live Online
Photo of Bo-Kapp, Cape Town, South Africa with text overlay for the 9th Urbanization and Development Conference

This event will be streamed here in

Date & Time

June 11 - 12, 2025 ET

Location

Cape Town Civic Centre, South Africa

Event Contact

[email protected]

The 9th Urbanization and Development Conference on "Urban Economics in Action: Addressing African Cities' Challenges" will bring together academics, policy makers, and development practitioners to discuss how economics research can help inform urban policy decisions and the allocation of scarce resources to build productive, livable, and sustainable cities in Africa.

Preregistration is Now Closed

The preregistration closed on March 21, 2025. Note that your attendance is not confirmed until you receive an email from the Conference Organizing Committee.

Conference participation will be in person, with live streaming of select key panel discussions. There are no associated conference fees and food will be provided. 

About the Conference

African countries are urbanizing at faster rates than any other region in history. This offers an important opportunity for growth and development. By bringing people and firms together, cities enable industrialization, the sharing of ideas and innovation, and opportunities for trade. Cities also offer the promise of access to critical goods and services, and in the face of the climate crisis, they play an important role in adaptation and mitigation. However, if the downsides of density are not managed well, this can result in congestion, pollution, and the exacerbation of poverty.

The 9th Urbanization and Development Conference is the first iteration of the conference with a regional focus on Africa. It will bring together academics, development practitioners, and urban policy makers to present and discuss questions relating to how research in the growing field of urban economics can help inform difficult policy decisions and the allocation of scarce resources to build productive, livable, and sustainable cities in Africa.

The continent can learn from global experience, but effective solutions will also require exploring the unique and varied local realities. Themes will include measuring urban economies and their contributions to growth, as well as how to enhance the benefits of cities through effective land and housing markets, public transport provision, and local service delivery in African cities. The conference welcomes all stakeholders working on city issues to understand which new ideas, methods, and collaborations can bring about the necessary change for urbanization to lead to prosperity.

Conference Organizers

The World Bank George Washington University

Harris Selod

Roman David Zarate

City of Cape Town International Growth Centre (IGC)

Inquiries

For inquires related to the call for papers, contact: [email protected]

For inquiries related to conference attendance and registration:
[email protected]


9th Urb Conference main logos 

Last updated: May 23, 2025

DAY 1 (June 11)

8:30 - 9:00am Registration and Coffee
9:00 - 9:15am

WELCOMING REMARKS (Banqueting Hall)

Lungelo Mbandazayo, City Manager, City of Cape Town
Deon Filmer, Director of the Research Group, World Bank
Nina Kelsey, Associate Professor of Public Policy & International Affairs, George Washington University

9:15 - 10:30am

OPENING SESSION: Building Cities that Work in Africa (Banqueting Hall)

CHAIR AND MODERATOR
Jonathan Leape, Executive Director, International Growth Centre

PANELISTS
Geordin Hill-Lewis, Mayor of Cape Town
Prudence Kaoma, PS M&E in Finance and Planning, Zambia
Edward Glaeser, Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics, Harvard University
Satu Kahkonen, Country Director for South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini, World Bank

10:30 - 10:45am

Mini Coffee Break

10:45am - 12:15pm

POLICY SESSION: Solution for Prosperous African Cities (Banqueting Hall)

CHAIR
Victoria Delbridge, Head of Cities that Work, International Growth Centre

POLICY ADDRESS
Manuel de Ara¨²jo, Mayor of Quelimane, Mozambique
Ogalaletseng Gaarekwe, DDG for the Intergovernmental Relations Division, National Treasury of South Africa
Lungelo Mbandazayo, City Manager, City of Cape Town

RESPONDENTS
Diana Mitlin, CEO, African Cities Research Consortium & Professor of Global Urbanism, Global Development Institute, University of Manchester

12:15 - 1:15pm

Lunch Break

1:15 - 2:45pm

KEYNOTE ADDRESS AND DEBATE: Infrastructure, the Backbone of the City (Banqueting Hall)

CHAIR
Ming Zhang, Global Director, Urban, Resilience and Land Global Department, World Bank

KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Matt Turner, Professor of Economics, Brown University
Kelsey Jack, Associate Professor, Business and Public Policy group, UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business

RESPONDENTS
Hugh Cole, Director of Strategy, City of Cape Town, South Africa

2:45 - 3:00pm

Mini Coffee Break

WORKSHOPS
Note: The following two workshops will run in parallel from 3:00 - 4:30pm

3:00 - 4:30pm

YOUNG URBAN ECONOMIST WORKSHOP (Meeting Room 2, 6th Floor)

CHAIR
Oliver Harman, Senior Policy Economist, Cities that Work, International Growth Centre

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Edward Glaeser, Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics, Harvard University and  IGC Cities Research Programme Co-Director

PAPERS
Paper YUE 1: Yacouba Kassouri (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research), ¡°The local economic impact of digital ride-sharing platforms: Causal evidence from African cities¡±
Paper YUE 2: Oluchi Mbonu (Harvard), ¡°Market Segmentation and Coordination Costs: Evidence from Johannesburg's Minibus Networks¡±
Paper YUE 3: Tsepang Khumalo (Stellenbosch), ¡°Formal Housing and Mental Health in South Africa¡±
Paper YUE 4: Cassandra Cole (Harvard), ¡°Pricing and In-Kind Transfers in Environmental Crisis: Evidence from Cape Town, South Africa¡±
Paper YUE 5: Tankiso Lefeta (Stellenbosch), ¡°The Effect of a Public Housing Subsidy Programme on Child Development among Low-income Households in South Africa¡±

FEEDBACK
Edward Glaeser, Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics, Harvard University and IGC Cities Research Programme Co-Director
Kelsey Jack, Associate Professor, Business and Public Policy group, UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business
Matt Turner, Professor of Economics, Brown University

3:00 - 4:30pm

MODELLING FOR BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE PROVISION (Banqueting Hall)

CHAIR
Juliana Oliveira-Cunha, Policy Economist, Cities that Work, International Growth Centre

PRESENTATIONS
Presentation 1: Nick Tsivanidis, Assistant Professor of Economics, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley and IGC Cities Research Programme Co-Director
Presentation 2: Thomas Monnier, Center for Research in Economics and Statistics (CREST)

DISCUSSANTS
Paul Court, Manager: Economic Analysis, Policy and Strategy Department, City of Cape Town

4:30 - 4:45 pm

Break

4:45 - 5:45pm

NEW RESEARCH FOR ACTION IN AFRICAN CITIES: A WAY FORWARD (Council Chambers, 6th Floor)

CHAIR AND MODERATOR
Deon Filmer, Director of the Research Group, World Bank

PANELISTS
Nancy Lozano, Program Manager, Institute for Economic Development, World Bank
Peter Ellis, Practice Manager, East Africa Region, World Bank
Michele Melchiorri, Project Officer, Joint Research Center
Ivan Turok, Research Chair in City-Region Economies, University of the Free State
Kurtis Lockhart, Executive Director, Africa Urban Lab

6:00 - 8:00pm

Cocktail Reception

DAY 2 (June 12)

8:30 - 9:00am

Registration and Coffee

PARALLEL RESEARCH SESSIONS 1
Note: The following three sessions will run in parallel from 9:00 - 10:30am

9:00 - 10:30am

RESEARCH SESSION 1A: Transport

CHAIR
Maria Orjuela-Pava, IGC Country Economist, Uganda

PAPERS
Paper 1A.1: Gabriel Kreindler (Harvard), ¡°Demand for Urban Exploration: Evidence from Nairobi¡±
Paper 1A.2: Alice Duhaut (World Bank DIME), ¡°Public and Private Transit: Evidence from Lagos¡±
Paper 1A.3: Alejandro Molnar (World Bank), "Rail service quality and access to employment: Evidence from Cape Town"
Paper 1A.4: Lucas Conwell (UCL), ¡°Privatized Provision of Public Transit¡±

DISCUSSANT
Nick Tsivanidis, Assistant Professor of Economics, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley and IGC Cities Research Programme Co-Director

9:00 - 10:30am

RESEARCH SESSION 1B: Firms and local economic development

CHAIR
Jodie Posen, Head of Economic Intelligence, City of Cape Town

PAPERS
Paper 1B.1: Deivy Houeix (MIT), ¡°Asymmetric Information and Digital Technology Adoption: Evidence from Senegal¡±
Paper 1B.2: Carolyn Pelnik (Tufts), ¡°Moving to Profitability? Alleviating Constraints on Microentrepreneur Location¡±
Paper 1B.3: Justin Visagie (UFS), ¡°Agglomeration and firm-level productivity in African cities¡±
Paper 1B.4: Ivan Turok (Human Sciences Research Council), ¡°Job creation and destruction in South Africa: The role of firms, industries and cities¡±

DISCUSSANT
Paul Court, Manager: Economic Analysis, Policy and Strategy Department, City of Cape Town

9:00 - 10:30am

RESEARCH SESSION 1C: Urban Expansion and the organization of the African Cities

CHAIR
Soraya Goga, Lead Urban Specialist, East Africa Region, World Bank

PAPERS
Paper 1C.1: Mark Roberts (World Bank), "An Anatomy of Urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa"
Paper 1C.2: Patrick Lamson-Hall (Africa Urban Lab), "Household-level impacts of a network of arterial roads on the peripheries of rapidly growing cities: An evaluation of urban expansion in Ethiopia"
Paper 1C.3: Harris Selod (World Bank), "Customary Land Conversion in sub-Saharan African Cities"
Paper 1C.4: Javier Baez (World Bank), "South Africa¡¯s Fragmented Cities: Spatial Mismatch between Jobs and People"

DISCUSSANT
Rob McGaffin, Executive Director for Spatial Planning, City of Cape Town

10:30 - 11:00am

Coffee Break

PARALLEL RESEARCH SESSIONS 2
Note: The following three sessions will run in parallel from 11:00 - 12:30pm
11:00am - 12:30pm

RESEARCH SESSION 2A: Land use planning and housing

CHAIR
Rory Hardie, IGC Country Economist, Zambia

PAPERS
Paper 2A.1: Simon Greenhill (UC Berkeley), ¡°Combining aerial photography and machine learning to map 20th century urban change¡±
Paper 2A.2: Francois Viruly (UCT) ¡°Unlocking Small-Scale Rental Housing in Cape Town - A Planning Policy Perspective"
Paper 2A.3: Remi Jedwab (GWU), ¡°The Skyscraper Revolution: Global Economic Development and Land Savings¡±
Paper 2A.4: Diana Mitlin (ACRC), ¡°Understanding the contribution of housing to economic development¡±

DISCUSSANT
Erika Naude, Director for Urban Planning and Design, City of Cape Town

11:00am - 12:30pm

RESEARCH SESSION 2B: Infrastructure Provision

CHAIR
Kiflu Molla, IGC Country Economist, Ethiopia

PAPERS
Paper 2B.1: Molly Lipscomb (UVA), ¡°Reducing Sewer Blockages through Improved Targeting¡±
Paper 2B.2: Leonard Le Roux (Science Po), ¡°Informality and Violence: Evidence from South Africa¡±
Paper 2B.3: Joshua Budlender (UCT): ¡°Surviving in the dark: The mortality effects of reducing rolling blackouts¡±
Paper 2B.4: Imelda (IHEID), ¡°Crime in the Dark: Role of Electricity Rationing¡±

DISCUSSANT
Gareth Morgan, Executive Director for Future Planning and Resilience, City of Cape Town

11:00am - 12:30pm

RESEARCH SESSION 2C: Migration

CHAIR
Felix Mambo, IGC Country Economist, Mozambique

PAPERS
Paper 2C.1: Pedro Vicente (Nova), ¡°On the Political Economy of Urbanization: Experimental Evidence from Mozambique¡±
Paper 2C.2: Li Jing (SMU), ¡°Young Women in Cities: Urbanization and Gender-biased Migration¡±
Paper 2C.3 Samuel Marshall (Warwick) ¡°Spatial Labor Market Power in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Roles of Self-Employment and Migration¡±
Paper 2C.4: Thomas Monnier (Ecole Polytechnique), ¡°The Informality Trade-Off: Wages and Rural-Urban Migration in South Africa¡±

DISCUSSANT
Nancy Lozano, Programme Manager, Institute for Economic Development, World Bank

12:30 - 1:30pm

Lunch Break

PARALLEL THEMATIC SESSIONS: Understanding data and research needs for African cities
Note: The following four sessions will run in parallel from 1:30 - 3:00pm
1:30 - 3:00pm

THEMATIC SESSION A: Transport

FACILITATORS
Gabriel Kreindler, Assistant Professor of Economics, Harvard
Keresha Naidoo, Manager of Integrated Transport Planning, City of Cape Town (TBC)

1:30 - 3:00pm

THEMATIC SESSION B: Firms and local economic development

FACILITATORS
Justin Visagie, Senior Research Specialist, Human Sciences Research Council and Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics and Finance at the University of the Free State
Kristoff Potgieter, Senior Applied Economist, City of Cape Town

1:30 - 3:00pm

THEMATIC SESSION C: Land use planning and housing

FACILITATORS
Kayleen Simpson, Manager for Research, City of Cape Town
Mark Napier, Research Group Leader: Housing and Urban Studies, CSIR Smart Places

1:30 - 3:00pm

THEMATIC SESSION D: Water, energy, and the environment

FACILITATORS
Archana MV, Senior Research Manager, Water, Air, and Energy Lab, JPAL Africa
Nina Kelsey, Associate Professor of Public Policy & International Affairs, George Washington University

3:00 - 3:30pm

Coffee Break

3:30 - 4:30pm

CLOSING REMARKS (Banqueting Hall)

CHAIR
Victoria Delbridge, Head of Cities that Work, International Growth Centre

FEEDBACK FROM THEMATIC SESSIONS

MINI KEYNOTE
Edward Glaeser, Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics, Harvard University and IGC Cities Research Programme Co-Director

CLOSING STATEMENTS
Hugh Cole, Director of Strategy, City of Cape Town, South Africa
Ming Zhang, Global Director, Urban, Resilience, and Land Global Department, World Bank

The 9th Urbanization and Development Conference is the product of the collaborative efforts of multiple institutions to bring together world-class?academics, policy makers, and development practitioners to address the urgent challenges confronting cities:

9th Urb Conference full sponsor list 

About the Venue

The conference will be held at the Civic Centre in Cape Town, located at 12 Hertzog Boulevard, Foreshore, Cape Town, South Africa.

 

Venue & Arrival Details

Location: City of Cape Town Civic Centre
 Arrival Gate: On the corner of Hertzog Boulevard Entrance, opposite the Towers/ Food Lovers Market building.

 

Please display your email acceptance confirmation from the World Bank to security upon arrival. Ushers in black t-shirts will be present to guide you to the registration table.


For your convenience, see the Google map easy navigation to the venue, including designated parking and access points.

 

9th Urbanization Conference Venue

 

For attendees requiring parking:

Parking & arrival details

Location: City of Cape Town Civic Centre
Arrival Gate: Old Marine Drive entrance, opposite the long-distance bus terminus
Parking Area: ground floor ¨C delegates area

Please display the City of Cape Town parking confirmation (sent via email) to security upon arrival. Ushers in black t-shirts will be present to guide you to the registration table.

For your convenience, see the Google map for easy navigation to the venue, including designated parking and access points.

9th Urbanization Conference Parking

The call for papers is now closed.


The call for papers associated with this conference is being coordinated by IGC. Please visit  to submit your paper and for the latest updates on the paper selection process.

For the second year we are running an international call for papers to promote engagement with a diverse range of economics scholars across the world. 

We are interested in working papers that (1) utilize economic methods, (2) are on or relevant for African cities, and (3) look at issues of agglomeration and urban labor markets, land use, housing, transport, water and sanitation, waste management, municipal finance, municipal governance, crime, sustainability, and climate adaptation. These papers should be at an advanced stage for presentation and questions. Although priority will be given to papers on African cities, the selection committee will also consider non-African papers if deemed of sufficient interest to the conference¡¯s themes.

Select young scholars will be chosen to partake in the Young Urban Economist Workshop and will receive feedback on their papers from one of our academic keynotes¡ªProfessor Matt Turner, Associate Professor Kelsey Jack or Professor Ed Glaeser. These scholars will be eligible to receive funding for travel and accommodation. Application will happen automatically, so please submit as normal. 

The deadline for the submission of papers has been extended to 18 November 2024,?23:59 GMT.?No late submissions will be accepted.

For questions related to the call for papers, please contact [email protected].