Poor Places Thriving People

Geographical differences in living standards are a pressing concern for policymakers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Economies of agglomeration mean that production is most efficient when concentrated in leading areas. So how can the region reduce spatial disparities in well-being without compromising growth? The solution to spatial disparities lies in matching the policy package to a lagging area s specific characteristics. Key questions include: is the lagging area problem really as serious as one thinks; is it a problem of low economic opportunity or of poor human development; are lagging area populations close enough to agglomerations to benefit from spillovers; and is there manifest private investor interest? Drawing on the World Bank s 2009 World Development Report, Reshaping Economic Geography, the book proposes 3 policy packages. First, all lagging areas can benefit from a level playing-field for development and investment in people. Geographic disparities in the policy environment are a legacy of MENA s history, and gaps in human development are a major component of spatial disparities. Smart policies for the investment environment, health, education, social transfers and urban development can therefore close spatial gaps in living standards. Second, lagging areas that are close to economic agglomeration can benefit from spillovers - provided that they are connected. MENA s expenditure priority is not necessarily long-distance primary connections, but infrastructure maintenance and short-distance connections such as rural roads and peri-urban networks. Public-private partnerships can also bring electronic connectivity to lagging areas. Third, shifting regional development policy away from spatial subsidies towards the facilitation of cluster-based growth will increase the chance of cost-effective impacts. The final chapter of the book examines the institutional prerequisites for effective spatial policy. It argues that MENA s centralized/sectoral structures are not always adapted to governments spatial development agendas, and describes alternative institutional options.

Policy makers across the Middle East and North Africa have for many years articulated plans to integrate their people spatially and economically. Wishing to bring communities together and narrow economic gaps, governments have made large capital investments in transport corridors and “new cities.†? Hoping to provide jobs in places with little economic activity, governments have designated new industrial zones supported by spatially targeted business incentives. Yet the results of these place-based initiatives in MENA are limited. The disparities between capital cities and lagging areas, and between richer and poorer quarters of cities, remain stark. Across much of the region, a fortunate few are connected to opportunity, while many more people are marginal to the formal economy—or live outside it, seemingly forgotten. Why have place-based spatial initiatives in MENA countries largely underdelivered, not yielding more sustainable jobs and growth? Although the challenges are many and vary across the region, this book explains that many of these place-based policies get one thing wrong: they attempt to treat inequity‘s spatial and physical symptoms, not its causes. This book presents the five roots causes of spatial inequity in institutional inefficiencies across MENA—urban regulatory frictions, credentialist education systems, centralized control over local public services, barriers to the spatial mobility of goods and people, and barriers to market entry and lopsided business environments—within cities, within countries, and across national borders

This lecture note volume aims to introduce economic concepts and analysis to undergraduate level students, in the context of contemporary development challenges in the economics of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Contents:Growth in the MENA RegionOil Markets, OPEC, and the MENA RegionOil, the Macroeconomy, and Growth in the MENA RegionWater Scarcity in the MENA RegionTrade and Global Integration in the MENA RegionIndustrial Policy for Structural Transformation in the MENA RegionThe Challenge of Private Sector Development in the MENA RegionPoverty and Social Welfare in the MENA Region Readership: Undergraduate students taking introductory modules on developmental economics, or students studying contemporary analysis of the MENA region looking for a reference on the economic development.

Islamic Globalization examines the Muslim world's growing importance in creating a more inclusive international system that is increasingly multipolar and multicultural. The author describes an emerging pattern of Islamic globalization as a series of transformations in four interrelated areas — pilgrimage and religious travel, capitalism and Islamic finance, democracy and Islamic modernism, and diplomacy and great power politics. The book integrates the disciplines of religion, politics, economics, law, and international relations highlighting developments in the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It provides new insights into the rapidly growing ties between China and the Islamic world, exploring their likely impact on the balance of power in Eurasia and beyond. Contents:Introduction: Islamic GlobalizationPilgrimage and Religious Travel:A Pilgrim's Eye View of the HajjThe Contemporary HajjThe Hajj and Human MigrationWomen's Participation in the HajjReligious Travel in IslamCapitalism and Islamic Finance:Capitalism and IslamThe Battle for the Soul of Islamic Finance — If It Has OneThe Revolution in Islamic FinanceIslamic Finance and the International System: Integration without ColonialismDemocracy and Islamic Modernism:Egypt's Revolutionary ElectionsThe Social and Economic Bases of Ennahdha Power: Khaldunian and Tocquevillian Reflections on the Tunisian ElectionsOn Liberty and Human Interest in the Work of Iliya HarikLeonard Binder's Islamic Liberalism: A Critique of Developmental IdeologiesPhilosophers, Lawyers, and Journalists: Arab and Turkish Ventures in Modernist IslamDiplomacy and Great Power Politics:Morsy in Beijing: Implications for America's Relations with China and the Islamic WorldChina–Middle East Relations in Light of Obama's Pivot to the PacificChina and the United States in the Middle East and the Islamic WorldThe Lands of Islam in a China-Led Afro-EurasiaConclusion: Toward a New Concert of Civilizations Readership: Students, general public, policy makers, business executives, and journalists, with interests in the Middle East. Keywords:Islam;Globalization;Islamic Modernism;Islamic Finance;Democracy;China;Pilgrimage;Hajj;International PoliticsKey Features:Describes Muslims' participation in the mainstream of modern life, highlighting their contributions to global consciousness, capitalism, democracy, and diplomacyIntegrates multidisciplinary studies of religion, politics, economics, law, and international relations in clear language accessable to general audiencesProvides historical and geographic perspective on long-term trends throughout Asia and Africa, allowing readers to look beyond the crisis-filled headlines of the dayReviews: “The articles are all well-written, accessible and fairly short, and so this volume is a valuable resource for readers with limited time, particularly undergraduates and journalists. For researchers wishing to pursue specific topics in more depth, the references and bibliography are excellent.” LSE Review of Books

The existing telecommunications infrastructure in the Middle East and North Africa MENA suffers from various regulatory and market bottlenecks that are hampering the growth of the Internet in most countries and related access to information and to potential new job sources.

How can urban leaders in Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis make the smart choices that can lead their city to make a comeback? The urban centers of New York City, Seattle, and San Francisco have enjoyed tremendous economic success and population growth in recent years. At the same time, cities like Baltimore and Detroit have experienced population loss and economic decline. People living in these cities are not enjoying the American Dream of upward mobility. How can post-industrial cities struggling with crime, pollution, poverty, and economic decline make a comeback? In Unlocking the Potential of Post-Industrial Cities, Matthew E. Kahn and Mac McComas explore why some people and places thrive during a time of growing economic inequality and polarization—and some don't. They examine six underperforming cities—Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis—that have struggled from 1970 to present. Drawing from the field of urban economics, Kahn and McComas ask how the public and private sectors can craft policies and make investments that create safe, green cities where young people reach their full potential. The authors analyze long-run economic and demographic trends. They also highlight recent lessons from urban economics in labor market demand and supply, neighborhood quality of life, and local governance while scrutinizing strategies to lift people out of poverty. These cities are all at a fork in the road. Depending on choices made today, they could enjoy a significant comeback—but only if local leaders are open to experimentation and innovation while being honest about failure and constructive evaluation. Unlocking the Potential of Post-Industrial Cities provides a roadmap for how urban policy makers, community members, and practitioners in the public and private sector can work together with researchers to discover how all cities can solve the most pressing modern urban challenges.

The Arab world has played a very important role in the history of urbanization. It is the region where urban civilization was born and where urban matters have been addressed for centuries. The Arab urban civilization, as it has evolved over the past millennium, has generated some of the most beautiful cities in the world. This publication is the first ever to comprehensively analyze urbanization processes in the Arab States through the review of its four sub-regions: the Maghreb, the Mashreq, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the least-developed Arab countries of the Southern Tier.

In the face of the political climate, and so many other challenges that we face in our day and age, it is necessary for us to accumulate more information and more tools that will help push us forward in life. In this book, I will be introducing systems, principles, and real-life examples that are proven to give you the power to take action and take command of your life with every word. Think of how you felt the last time you felt hopeless, done, and unmotivated. No more! Say no to poverty.