The Shifting Economic Power of Cities

Cities are the economic engines that power the global economy. For decades economic clout has been concentrated primarily in the major cities of the developed world. But the geography of power is shifting as urban centers in emerging regions of Asia and Latin America play a larger, more assertive role in manufacturing, commerce and finance. The list of the 600 top-performing cities, which account for 60 percent of global GDP, will change dramatically over the next decade as scores of First World cities are overtaken in GDP by cities in China, India and Latin America. By 2025, 136 new cities are expected to enter the top 600, including 100 from China alone. This panel will identify some of the cities that will drive this change, as well as patterns of growth and demographic shifts that will emerge over the next generation. Moderator Conrad Kiechel, Managing Director, Communications, Milken Institute Speakers Fahd Al-Rasheed, Group CEO and Managing Director, Emaar Economic City Byron Boston, President, CEO and Co-Chief Investment Officer, Dynex Capital Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League; Former Mayor, New Orleans Naheed A. Nenshi, Mayor, City of Calgary, Canada