Fahd Al-Rasheed

The Shifting Economic Power of Cities

Conrad Kiechel, Fahd Al-Rasheed, Byron Boston, Marc Morial, Naheed A. Nenshi, Carol Kretschmann

Leading urban experts, including New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, convened to address the critical intersection of rapid global urbanization, financial sustainability, and social resilience. The panel examined diverse case studies ranging from post-Katrina infrastructure reform and Calgary's debt restructuring against sprawl to Emar Economic City's innovative corporate governance model in Saudi Arabia. Ultimately, the dialogue underscored the necessity of aligning private capital, smart city technologies, and inclusive social policies to manage the challenges of population growth, disaster recovery, and refugee integration in the modern metropolis.