We hope you enjoyed this conversation with Paul Romer of New York University and director of NYU’s Marron Institute of Urban Management. And now we’d like to hear what you got out of it, and for you to help us continue our conversation.

Have a look at the prompts below.

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What’s the difference between private and charter cities? 1. When asked about Gurgaon, the subject of much of Roberts’s recent episode with Alex Tabarrok, Romer, referring to the interaction between public space and private space, asserts that Gurgaon has “completely failed on getting this right.” Does Tabarrok agree? How might a future private city do better? How does this illuminate the difference(s) between private and charter cities? Which do you think hold more potential for the future, and why?

2. Romer suggests that the Millennium Development Goals touted by Jeffrey Sachs should all be scrapped and replaced with one single objective. What does he suggest, and to what extent do you think Romer’s is preferable? What do you think Nina Munk would say to Romer’s suggestion? Explain.

3. Toward the end of the interview, Roberts asks Romer what the role for the intellectual should be in urban growth, and Romer suggests two. The first is to provide brand new ideas or possibilities for discussion, and the second is what he calls “reframing.” What does he mean by this? Which do you think is a more efficacious strategy? In what other policy areas might you suggest “reframing” could be advantageous? Explain.