The Century of Cities continues its conversation with Professor Sir Paul Collier, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Oxford, in Part Two of a two-part episode about the forces shaping the cities of the future. This time, the conversation turns to migration, belonging, and the challenge of building cities that can absorb rapid population growth while creating shared identities and opportunities for their residents.

Sir Paul Collier turns to Africa’s coming urban transition and the enormous challenge of financing the cities it will need. He proposes a new approach: giving cities greater access to domestic debt markets, creating shared guarantees between cities, and bringing development finance institutions together to invest not only in infrastructure but in the businesses and jobs of the future. His most hopeful message is that transformation does not have to begin everywhere at once. A handful of successful cities can become examples for others to learn from, adapt, and build upon, creating a powerful network of urban innovation across the continent.