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Charter Cities Podcast

Mark Lutter
Charter Cities
Freedom Cities
Economic Liberalism
China
Urban Development
Zanzibar
Governance
Economic Development
Government Efficiency
Nuclear Energy
Opium Wars
Shanghai
Wyoming
Silicon Valley
AI Startups
Urbanization
Housing Affordability
Special Economic Zones
Sustainability
Mass Timber Construction

The Charter Cities Podcast explores how charter cities can help solve some of the largest challenges of the 21st century, from urbanization to global poverty to migration. Each episode Mark Lutter interviews experts in international development, new cities, finance, entrepreneurship, and governance, to develop a better understanding of the various aspects of charter cities If you want to learn mor... more

PublishesInfrequentlyEpisodes93Founded6 years ago
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Social SciencesScienceLife Sciences

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Artwork for Charter Cities Podcast

Latest Episodes

What is a pop-up city, and what does it actually look like on the ground?

In Episode 82 of the Charter Cities Podcast, Mark Lutter speaks with David Chitta and Michelle Made about Zanzalu, a three-week co-living and co-working pop-up city hosted in ... more

Africa’s development story is often framed through crisis or pessimism. Joe Studwell offers a different perspective. In this conversation, Studwell explains why Africa’s economic transformation is only beginning. Unlike the post-independence era, tod... more

In Episode 80 of the Charter Cities Podcast, Mark Lutter speaks with James of Ârc about building a global city that attracts ambitious people from around the world. James shares Arc’s long-term vision for city building and explains why talent, cultur... more

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 Silicon Valley systems thinker takes on the world’s most complex product: government.

Bradford argues th... more

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People also subscribe to these shows.

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Recent Guests

Michelle Made
Artist and organizer for Zanzalu
Zanzalu organizing team
Episode: David Chitta and Michelle Made on Zanzalu and Life Inside a Pop-Up City
David Chitta
Organizing member of Zanzalu and collaborator at Charter Cities Institute
Charter Cities Institute
Episode: David Chitta and Michelle Made on Zanzalu and Life Inside a Pop-Up City
Joe Studwell
Author of How Africa Works and How Asia Works
Author
Episode: Joe Studwell on How Africa Works
James of Arc
Founder/leader of Arc, a charter city initiative
Arc
Episode: James of Ârc on Building a Global City to Push the Frontier
Bradford Cross
Founder and CEO of Alpha Cities
Alpha Cities
Episode: Bradford Cross on Alpha Cities & Treating Government as a Product
Rod Lockwood
Author of 'Belle Isle, Detroit's Game Changer'
Episode: Rodney Lockwood on Belle Isle
Dillon Knowles
President of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce
Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce
Episode: Dillon Knowles on Reviving Freeport
Joel Burke
Author of 'Rebooting a Nation, The Incredible Rise of E-Estonia'
Episode: Joel Burke on E-Governance and the Rise of Estonia
Tom W. Bell
Law professor and specialist in legal system design
Chapman University
Episode: Freedom Cities Podcast - Episode 8: Tom Bell

Host

Mark Lutter
Host of multiple related shows focused on charter cities and governance innovation. Affiliated with the Charter Cities Institute.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 34 ratings
  • In-depth conversations with renowned experts

    This group is thinking big about the future of cities and this podcast is very well informed.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    nels podcast listener
    United States5 years ago
  • Immediately engaging; Lit my brain on fire

    The conversations are always a great balance of approachable and intellectual. The topics follow an interesting theme, and I find myself thinking about it for hours afterwards.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    sir stacksalot
    United States6 years ago
  • Excellent

    Very informative!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Evade Chikzy
    United States6 years ago
  • Great!

    Consistently interesting episodes. Huge variety of guests that cover all facets of building new cities.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    k92693
    United Kingdom6 years ago
  • The future of cities

    I love this idea. I went to Hong Kong in 2016, and it was awesome. It’s hard to believe what was done to HK and Shenzhen in such a short amount of time, it’d be great to do that in other places as well. The guests provide lots of great info.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PeterCH4
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The future of cities, I love this idea. It's great for learning about how to build better cities with smart governance.
Excellent, Very informative!
In-depth conversations with renowned experts, This group is thinking big about the future of cities and this podcast is very well informed.
Immediately engaging; Lit my brain on fire, The conversations are always a great balance of approachable and intellectual. The topics follow an interesting theme, and I find myself thinking about it for hours afterwards.
Great Podcast!, Its good that you are shedding light on such an important topic!
Great!, Consistently interesting episodes. Huge variety of guests that cover all facets of building new cities.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Joe Studwell on How Africa Works
Q: What do you see as the future of African development and what needs to change to improve it?
The trajectory hinges on adopting a development approach similar to successful East Asian models, adapted to Africa's context: leveraging demographic advantages, boosting literacy, intensifying agriculture, moving into manufacturing, and creating policies that trap capital domestically to learn and upgrade. Governance and policy design are crucial—without the right framework, even rapid urbanization and education gains may not translate into sustainable growth.
James of Ârc on Building a Global City to Push the Frontier
Q: What does the capital stack look like for these large-scale charter cities?
Initial funding will come from a mix of equity and traditional debt, with later-stage funding drawn from more conventional capital markets; the aim is to build a sustainable financial model that funds governance and infrastructure without relying on volatile fiat currency issuance.
James of Ârc on Building a Global City to Push the Frontier
Q: How do you balance the location-specific realities with a network-state style approach that could scale across many countries?
We start with momentum and engage multiple host nations to find the best fit, then we enable a semi-location-agnostic community that can add value wherever it lands by providing a proven governance product and a global talent network.
James of Ârc on Building a Global City to Push the Frontier
Q: Are you thinking about urban planning, or government policy, or both when you say we can do better than Singapore?
The plan is multi-faceted: improve urban design, reform governance structures, and deploy technology-enabled systems that raise the quality of life—focusing on concrete outcomes like safety, efficiency, and transparency rather than abstract ideals.
Rodney Lockwood on Belle Isle
Q: How do you get the political support necessary for this project?
Lockwood believes building grassroots support and demonstrating the economic benefits to Detroit residents will help garner the necessary political backing.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About Charter Cities Podcast

What is Charter Cities Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show focuses on charter cities and how innovative governance, urban development, and new city models can address major global challenges. Conversations often center on governance as a product, iterative policy design, and the intersection of technology, finance, and public administration with real-world case studies from Detroit, Grand Bahama, and digital governance leaders. A notable strength is bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to explore practical paths for scalable, entrepreneurial approaches to city-building and governance.

Listeners can expect thought-provoking debates, access to ideas from fintechs and universities, and nuanced takes on how to apply experimental governance models in diverse politica... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Charter Cities Podcast?

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How many listeners does Charter Cities Podcast get?

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What are the audience demographics for Charter Cities Podcast?

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How many subscribers and views does Charter Cities Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Charter Cities Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Charter Cities Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Charter Cities Podcast:

1. Free Cities Podcast
2. Conversations with Tyler
3. Odd Lots
4. All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
5. The Daily

How many episodes of Charter Cities Podcast are there?

Charter Cities Podcast launched 6 years ago and published 93 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Charter Cities Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Charter Cities Podcast?

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Charter Cities Podcast?

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What guests have appeared on Charter Cities Podcast?

Recent guests on Charter Cities Podcast include:

1. Michelle Made
2. David Chitta
3. Joe Studwell
4. James of Arc
5. Bradford Cross
6. Rod Lockwood
7. Dillon Knowles
8. Joel Burke

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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