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Held on 11-12 December 2014

Over 70% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050. This rapid urbanisation presents both an extraordinary challenge and a remarkable opportunity to improve welfare, drive sustainability, promote inclusive growth and revolutionise the very notion of government. The conference generated discussions that take on the biggest and most important of these challenges.

“Flourishing cities” explored big new ideas and showcased examples of innovative practice in government and public policy around the world. It sought new ways to tackle the impacts of rapid urbanisation across the world and address the challenges of meeting the needs and aspirations of citizens.

Watch a summary of insights from the conference below, and watch the full sessions on YouTube.

SPEAKERS AND SESSION CHAIRS
  • Rafat Ali Al-Akhali, Minister of Youth and Sports, Government of Yemen
  • Charlotte Alldritt, Secretary, RSA City Growth Commission
  • Atif Ansar, Departmental Lecturer in Public Policy and Management, Blavatnik School of Government
  • Anna Livia Arida, Director, Minha Sampa, Brazil
  • David Banister, Professor of Transport Studies, University of Oxford Transport Studies Unit
  • Ben Bradford, Lecturer in Criminology, University of Oxford
  • Shahana Chattaraj, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Comparative Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government
  • Susan Claris, Associate Director, ARUP
  • Sir Paul Collier, Professor of Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government
  • Aníbal Gaviria Correa, Mayor of Medellin, Colombia
  • Pedro Henrique de Cristo, Partner and CoFounder, +D Studio // Design with Purpose, Brazil
  • Jo da Silva OBE, Director, Arup International Development
  • David De Roure, Professor of e-Research and Director of Oxford e-Research Centre, University of Oxford
  • Dickson Despommier, Founder, Vertical Farming Project, Columbia University
  • Monica Duffy Toft, Professor of Government and Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government
  • Jerome Frost OBE, UKMEA Leader of Consulting, ARUP
  • Marina Galanti, Founder & President, RUSH Foundation
  • Tara Garnett, Director, Food Climate Research Network
  • Andrew Grant, Global Leader of the Public Sector Practice, McKinsey & Company
  • Sir Muir Gray, Director, Better Value Healthcare
  • Alain Guinebault, Director, Groupe Energies Renouvelables, Environnement et Solidarités (GERES)
  • Maarten Hajer, Director-General of PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
  • Thomas Hale, Associate Professor in Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government
  • Jim Hall, Director, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
  • Andrew Hamilton, Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford
  • Barbara Hammond, Chief Executive, Low Carbon Hub
  • Tim Harris, Head of Investment, Mayor’s Office of Cape Town
  • Mo Ibrahim, Founder, Mo Ibrahim Foundation
  • Kate Jackson, Knowledge Expert, McKinsey Center for Government, McKinsey & Company
  • Stephen Jennings, Founder, Rendeavour
  • Michael Keith, Professor and Director, Centre on Migration, Policy and Society, University of Oxford
  • Peter Kemp, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs & Professor of Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government
  • Patrick Le Galès, CNRS Director of Research & Professor of Political Science, Sciences Po
  • Pavan Mamidi, Professor, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
  • Denis Mizne, Chief Executive Officer, The Lemann Foundation, Brazil
  • Suzy Moat, Assistant Professor, Warwick School of Business
  • Geoff Mulgan, Chief Executive Officer, Nesta
  • Mthuli Ncube, Senior Research Fellow – RethinkHIV, the Blavatnik School of Government
  • Gascia Ouzounian, Co-Founder, Recomposing the City, Queen’s University Belfast
  • Edgar Pieterse, South African Research Chair in Urban Policy & Director for the African Centre for Cities, University of Cape Town
  • Antonio Prado, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, United Nations
  • Amit Prasad, Health Economist, Centre for Health Development, World Health Organization
  • Steve Rayner, Director, Oxford Programme for the Future of Cities
  • Sara Thornton, Chief Constable, Thames Valley Police, Oxford
  • Tony Travers, Director of LSE London & Professor of Government, London School of Economics
  • Ngaire Woods, Dean, Blavatnik School of Government
  • Xue Lan, Professor and Dean, School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University
  • Winnie Yip, Professor of Health Policy and Economics, Blavatnik School of Government