Charter Cities Podcast
Episodes
Bradford Cross on Alpha Cities & Treating Government as a Product
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 79, Mark Lutter sits down with serial AI founder and investor Bradford Cross, now CEO of Alpha Cities, to explore what happens when a Silic...
Rodney Lockwood on Belle Isle
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mark speaks with Rodney Lockwood, author of Belle Isle: Detroit’s Game Changer. Lockwood outlines his vision for turning Detroit’...
Dillon Knowles on Reviving Freeport
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Grand Bahama’s Freeport is often left out of the origin story of special economic zones—but it shouldn’t be. In this episode, Mark sits down wit...
Joel Burke on E-Governance and the Rise of Estonia
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Joel Burke and Carl Peterson discuss the remarkable transformation of Estonia into a leader in digital governance. They explore ...
Freedom Cities Podcast - Episode 8: Tom Bell
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Freedom Cities episode, Professor Tom W. Bell dives deep into the world of legal innovation and special jurisdictions. A law professor turned ...
Jarrad Hope on Blockchain Communities and Post-Nation-State Governance
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 75 of the Charter Cities Podcast, we’re joined by Jarrad Hope—founder of the Logos Network and author of Farewell to Westphalia—to ex...
Freedom Cities Podcast - Episode 7: Alex Voss
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 7 of the Freedom Cities Podcast, Mark Lutter sits down with Alex Voss, CFO of Tipolis, a company pioneering the development of new cities a...
Siaka Stevens on Building Sherbro Island City
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 74 of the Charter Cities Podcast, host Mark Lutter speaks with Siaka Stevens, co-founder of Sherbro Alliance Partners and the visionary beh...
Freedom Cities Podcast - Episode 6: David Ernst
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Freedom Cities Podcast, we speak with David Ernst, founder of Secure Internet Voting, about the urgent need for innovation in d...
Three Wyoming State Senators on Freedom Cities, Federal Land, and Innovation
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode features a conversation with Wyoming State Senators Dan Dockstader, Brian Boner, and Chris Rothfuss, hosted by Carl Peterson of the Chart...
Michael Muthukrishna on Cultural Evolution and the Human Advantage
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Charter Cities Podcast, Mark speaks with Michael Muthukrishna, Associate Professor of Economic Psychology at LSE, about how cul...
Freedom Cities Podcast - Episode 5: Wyoming State Senators Brian Boner, Chris Rothfuss, and Dan Dockstader
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Freedom Cities Podcast, host Carl Peterson speaks with three Wyoming State Senators—Brian Boner (District 2), Chris Rothfuss ...
Freedom Cities Podcast - Episode 4: Patri Friedman
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Freedom Cities Podcast, Mark Lutter is joined by Patri Friedman, a pioneer in the new cities movement. As the founder of the Se...
Freedom Cities Podcast - Episode 3: Isaiah Taylor
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Isaiah Taylor, CEO and Founder of Valar Atomics, joins the Freedom Cities Podcast to discuss their game-changing advancements in nuclear energy. Learn...
Freedom Cities Podcast - Episode 2: Edward Pinto
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Freedom Cities Podcast, Edward Pinto discusses his work at the American Enterprise Institute Housing Center, focusing on the ho...
Freedom Cities Podcast - Episode 1: Joshua Abbotoy
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the Freedom Cities Podcast, a short-form series by the Charter Cities Institute & the Frontier Foundation. In each episode, we sit down...
Nick Allen on Freedom Cities
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Nick Allen from the Frontier Foundation delves into the concept of Freedom Cities, highlighting their potential to rejuvenate America...
Atossa Araxia Abrahamian on Freeports, Free Zones, and The Hidden Globe
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Atossa discusses her book 'The Hidden Globe,' which explores the complexities of special economic zones and the unconventional l...
Mark Lutter and Kurtis Lockhart on Building Institutions and the Future of African Education
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Kurtis discusses his transition from CCI to establishing the Africa Urban Lab at the African School of Economics in Zanzibar. He...
Ian Goldin on the History and Future of Cities
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine a world where cities are not just places to live, but dynamic hubs of innovation, specialization, and cooperation. What if the cities of today...
Evan Osborne on Economic Liberalism in Modern China
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Liberalism in China has taken many twists and turns. And in today’s episode, we explore its fascinating history, from its early pre-Western roots, a...
Leander Moons on Mass Timber Construction in Africa
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine Africa built their infrastructure using the same systems as the Western World. Embracing sustainability is a critical element of building a gr...
Building a Charter City Ecosystem with Mark Lutter
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do you take the positive aspects of Silicon Valley, and apply it to a radically different context like developing charter cities? Today, Jeffrey M...
Building Vibrant Communities with Brooke Bowman and Mark Lutter
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Can a city hold the key to unlocking economic prosperity on a grand scale? In this episode, we sit down with Brooke Bowman and Mark Lutter to discuss ...
Luqman Edu on Itana, Nigeria's First Digital Free Zone
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What would it take to create the ideal jurisdiction for global tech companies to be able to grow and scale in Africa? Joining us today to unpack this ...
Kartik Akileswaran and Jonathan Mazumdar on Growth Teams and Structural Transformation
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many countries need radical structural transformation, specifically in more developing nations, and Growth Teams and made it part of their mission to ...
Jon Vandenheuvel on Small Farm Cities
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Affordable housing and economic development challenges in Africa are multifaceted and interconnected, but what is the solution? In today’s conversat...
Tom Lavers on Ethiopia's Developmental State
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ethiopia's Developmental State model has garnered attention for its ambitious goals and efforts to transform the economy, but has it been successful? ...
Lant Pritchett on Economic Growth, Charter Cities, and State Capability
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode of Charter Cities, we're honored to welcome Lant Pritchett, a distinguished economist and a thought leader in development economics...
Heba Elhanafy and Matthew McCartney on Africa's Bad Urban Laws
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today's Charter Cities episode, host Jeffrey Mason is joined by colleagues Heba Elhanafy and Matthew McCartney to unpack the New Africa's Bad Urban...
International Hubs and the Future of Living with Vitalik Buterin
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Coming up on today's episode of Charter Cities, we have a very special guest joining host Mark Lutter: Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum. In...
Private Cities: A New Frontier in Urban Development and Governance with Martin Rama and Yue Li
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Host Jeffrey Mason welcomes esteemed guests Martin Rama and Yue Li to another enthralling episode of Charter Cities. Together, they embark on a deep e...
Relationship Building, Network Cities, and Leveraging Competitive Advantage with Mark Lutter
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charter Cities Institute Founder and Chairman Mark Lutter returns to the podcast to share his perspective on network states, charter city trends, and ...
Industrialization and Assimilation with Dr. Elliott Green
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Industrialization has a myriad of consequences that have been studied and speculated upon from the very start. In this episode, Dr. Elliott Green join...
Emergent Tokyo with Joe McReynolds
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We are joined on the show today by Joe McReynolds, co-author of Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous City, and we have an extensive con...
Education, Electricity, Fertility, and Economic Growth with Charlie Robertson
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What do high education and low fertility rates have in common? According to today’s guest, Charlie Robertson, they are both positively correlated wi...
Doing Business in Africa with Deanne de Vries
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The West’s misconceptions about Africa are vast, particularly when it comes to the realm of business. Today we are joined by Dr. Deanne de Vries, wh...
Catawba Digital Economic Zone with Joseph McKinney
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re a regular listener of this podcast you may be familiar with the term Special Economic Zone (SEZ). In short, SEZ refers to an area where bu...
A Framework for the Elite's Role in Development with Stefan Dercon
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Stefan Dercon is the author of Gambling on Development, in which he details his theory of the elite bargain framework for development in low-income co...
Exploring Solutions to the Development Problem with Efosa Ojomo
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Development is one of the major challenges of our time. Unfortunately, it’s often approached in a way that does more harm than good. Efosa Ojomo has...
Lessons on Economic Growth for the Future with Dr. Jared Rubin
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Jared Rubin is the co-author of How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth, which he wrote with Mark Koyama, a...
The Real Story of China in Africa with Deborah Brautigam
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
China’s presence in Africa is widely speculated upon (and wildly misunderstood). Joining us today to speak to the truth of the matter is Sinologist-...
Linda Colley on War and Constitutions
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Linda Colley is a leading expert on British imperial and global history, among other topics in British history. Dr. Colley is the M.C. Davis 1958 ...
Charter Cities Atlas: Venice with Thibault Serlet and Corey Tazzara
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode is a bonus episode, where we take a deep dive into the Italian Renaissance (with a focus on Venice) with world-renowned expert, Prof...
Tackling Poverty and Preventing War with Chris Blattman
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Ukraine-Russia conflict has dominated headlines over the past few months, with countless theories and hypotheses being touted to explain Russia’...
Seeding the Future 02: A Fundamental Cultural Shift with Sid Sijbrandij
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In order to build the cities of the future, there is a need for synergy between a number of elements and institutions and, as philanthropy evolves wit...
Seeding the Future 01: Philanthropy for Policy Change with John D. Arnold
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Seeding the Future, a podcast from the Charter Cities Institute, where we explore how giving and philanthropy are changing as wealth is cre...
Building Up and Not Out with Heba Elhanafy
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Across the global south, cities are growing outwards instead of upwards. Talking to us today about why this is a bad thing for commuters, is urban pla...
The New Urban Aesthetic with Dr. Samuel Hughes
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In January 2020, the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission published ‘Living with beauty’, a report that has led to a new national design...
Market Urbanism with Scott Beyer
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Joining us in conversation today is Scott Beyer, the Founder and CEO of the Market Urbanism Report, a media company dedicated to advancing the free ma...
Urbanization and Urban Governance with Ed Glaeser
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Ed Glaeser, a Professor of Economics at Harvard University, and he joins us to talk about urbanization and urban planning. Ed has w...
Building Strong Towns with Charles “Chuck” Marohn
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“The North American development pattern, the way we build our cities, creates a lot of liabilities and not enough wealth, financially, to actually t...
Mass Migration with Parag Khanna
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Because of the pervasive media coverage of Trumpism, Brexit, and the like, it is easy to assume that the dominant sentiment around the world is that m...
e-Residency in Estonia with Lauri Haav
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
At the beginning of 2021 Lauri Haav altered his career path from the world of tech startups to the realm of government. This might sound like an incon...
The Royal Society of the Arts with Anton Howes
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For the past 270 years, The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) has been the U. K's national improvement agen...
The Impact of Technology and Remote Access on Cities and Suburbs with Dror Poleg
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Dror Poleg, an economic historian who explores how physical and digital systems affect human behavior, well-being, and dignity. Dro...
Shaping a Preferable Economic Future with Eli Dourado
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As we step into a new decade, it’s a good time to reflect on our expectations for the next 10 years. There are a wide variety of possible futures, s...
The Decline and Rise of Democracy with David Stasavage
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The complex history of democracy and its global origins isn’t taught in school. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to self-educate. On today’s e...
Understanding the Hidden Forces that Shape Society with Samo Burja
12 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There has never been an immortal society. No matter how technologically advanced our own society is, it is unlikely to be an exception. In order to ac...
The Making of Nigeria with Feyi Fawehinmi
28 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Feyi Fawehinmi, author of Formation: The Making of Nigeria from Jihad to Amalgamation. Feyi joins us on the show to talk about...
How Displaced People Can Build Economies with Alexander Betts
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Refugees bring skills, talents, and aspirations and can be a benefit rather than a burden to receiving societies. Realizing this potential relies on m...
Sustainable Development Zones and a Better Life for Migrants with Joachim Rücker
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Joachim Rücker, who currently serves as a key partner in the Sustainable Development Zone Alliance. Preceded by a varied and fasci...
Cost Differences in Railway Infrastructure Projects Globally with Alon Levy
10 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Alon Levy, a fellow with the NYU Marron Institute. Their research focuses on public transportation and how to apply best practices ...
Bureaucratic Pockets of Effectiveness in Ghana with Erin McDonnell
03 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Erin McDonnell, Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame. She joins us on the show to discuss her recent book Pa...
The Political Economy of Immigration and Institutions with Alex Nowrasteh
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A largely unexplored counterargument to immigration liberalization is that immigrants who come from countries with worse institutions will make the in...
China’s Development Evolution with Yuen Yuen Ang
29 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
China’s rapid rise may seem unprecedented, but its journey is oddly familiar. The question is, where have we seen this type of development before, a...
The Economics of Climate Change with Matthew E. Khan
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Much talk around climate change focuses on mitigation, with far less attention paid to adaptation strategies. Matthew E. Khan, an Economics Professor ...
Africa, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow with Judd Devermont
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we sit with Judd Devermont, Director of the Africa Program at CSIS, to find out Africa’s current global position. In our conversation, Judd re...
One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger with Matthew Yglesias
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Vox co-founder, policy writer, and celebrated journalist Matthew Yglesias knows what would actually make America great: more people. Today we speak wi...
Founding a Pan-African University with Leonard Wantchekon
01 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From fleeing Benin for his pro-democracy activism to becoming a renowned Princeton professor and founding one of Africa’s most prestigious universit...
Development, Jim Wolfensohn, and The World Bank with Sebastian Mallaby
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we sit with Sebastian Mallaby, a successful author and esteemed Senior Fellow for International Economics at the Council of Foreign Relations. H...
Creating Global Financial Centers with Mark Beer
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Creating and enforcing a watertight contract between two global parties is a challenging task. For starters, the world is rapidly evolving, and as a r...
Ancient Cities with Greg Woolf
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Cities may have seemed more fragile during the global COVID-19 lockdowns but, as Greg Woolf’s impressive studies of early urbanism show, cities have...
Historical Events and Economic Development with Dr. Nathan Nunn
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There is a growing body of empirical evidence that points toward the important, long-term effects that historic events can have on economic developmen...
State Capacity, Religious Toleration, and Political Competition with Mark Koyama
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Mark Koyama, Economic Historian at George Mason University. Mark recently co-authored Persecution & Toleration: The Long Road t...
A City in the Cloud with Balaji Srinivasan
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Digital technology has evolved to the point that by hitting keys and tapping mice buttons, you can literally build a city in the cloud. This viral ide...
Reigniting Progress By Studying It with Jason Crawford
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is progress, has it slowed down, and what can we do about it? Joining us today to talk about the emerging field of progress studies and how it mi...
An Overview of Charter Cities and The CCI with Founder Mark Lutter.
21 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Charter Cities Institute has seen rapid growth in recent months, having gone from three employees in February to ten as of this week, so we decide...
Erick Brimen on Próspera and The Birth of the First Charter City in Honduras
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we welcome Erick Brimen, the CEO of Próspera, which is arguably the world's first charter city, off the coast of Honduras on an island called R...
We Need to Work at Making Democracy Work with Professor Nic Cheeseman
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tocqueville said, “We need to work at making democracy work.” That is the springboard from which this episode begins. Kurtis Lockhart fills in for...
The Political Economy of Special Economic Zones with Lotta Moberg
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Charter cities can be thought of as the next generation of special economic zones. Today’s guest is Lotta Moberg, a macroeconomic analyst at the&nbs...
Creating Livable, Sustainable Cities with Yomi Ademola
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Africa is the fastest urbanizing region on the planet. The continent’s rapid population and economic growth demand large-scale solutions. As Africa’...
Building a New Hong Kong with Ivan Ko
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As the political landscape in Hong Kong shifts, many residents are looking to migrate to Western countries. This creates immigration problems, especia...
Funding a Charter City: A Venture Capital Perspective with Patri Friedman
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Venture capital and charter cities are an unlikely pairing, but it’s one that presents interesting possibilities. Today's guest, Patri Friedman, is ...
The Determinant Power of Geography and the Coming Disorder with Peter Zeihan
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joining us on the show today is geopolitical strategist, speaker and author, Peter Zeihan! Our conversation spans a wide range of connected topics, ce...
Aiding Emerging Markets and Serving People with Grace with Iyinoluwa Aboyeji
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Nigerian economy is complex and multilayered, with many opportunities and hurdles for its people. Joining us on the show today to discuss the econ...
Mwiya Musokotwane on Nkwashi and The Future of an Intercontinental Africa
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nkwashi is a private charter city that is currently being built in Zambia to house around 100,000 residents on completion. Our guest on the show today...
Alain Bertaud on Cities: The Products of Spontaneous Order
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For today’s episode, we discuss urban planning with Alain Bertaud, senior research scholar at NYU’s Marron Institute and the author of Order ...
Gyude Moore on the Infrastructural Spine of the Economy
20 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For our first full episode of the Charter Cities Podcast, Mark is joined by Gyude Moore to discuss his experiences in and the history of Liberia, and ...
Mark Lutter on the importance of charter cities
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We are so happy to welcome you to the Charter Cities Podcast, where we highlight the different facets of building a charter city. Through this platfor...