David Cutler says we’re only as healthy as the least healthy parts of our cities. (Photo courtesy of Harvard University)
More than half of the world’s population lives in cities, and it’s expected that almost 70 percent will live in urban areas by 2050. People are attracted to cities for the economic and social opportunities they offer. But if the COVID pandemic taught us anything, it’s that population density presents significant health risks. David Cutler is a Professor of Economics at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and the Chan School of Public Health. Cutler and his Harvard colleague Edward Glaeser write about Cities After the Pandemic in the December issue of Finance and Development. In this podcast, David Cutler discusses the article with journalist Rhoda Metcalfe. He says cities now need to put more emphasis on public health to keep economies healthy. Transcript
International Monetary Fund
Bruce Edwards produces the IMF podcast program. He's an award-winning audio producer and journalist who's covered armed conflicts, social unrest, and natural disasters from all corners of the world. He believes economists have an important role in solving the world's problems and aspires to showcase their research in every IMF podcast.
Journalist
Rhoda Metcalfe is an independent journalist and audio producer. Her reporting on the armed conflict in Colombia in the late 90s, as well as her work in Egypt, Turkey and South Africa has won several awards. She now produces podcasts and radio features from Washington DC and is a regular contributor to the IMF Podcast program.