# The Urbanization Project's Charter Cities initiative, led by Prof. Paul Romer, is highlighted

1 Faculty News April 15, 2015 ![The Week logo ](/sites/default/files/styles/246w/public/assets/images/con_041813.jpg?itok=uK84bgmS)>

Excerpt from [The Week](http://theweek.com/articles/548556/cities-privately-owned-future) -- "The second is charter cities, the brilliant idea by the development economist [Paul Romer](http://w4.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/paul-romer) to create new 'Hong Kongs' in the world's poorest areas. Just as British governance in Hong Kong enabled millions of Chinese to escape Communist poverty — and eventually helped lead the Chinese Communist regime to reform, lifting hundreds of millions more out of poverty — this could be repeated across the world's poorest areas."

[Read more](http://theweek.com/articles/548556/cities-privately-owned-future)