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Publication - Case study
Data and research as key enablers of city outcomes: A case study of the City of Cape Town (2000-2022)
Smart cities and evidence-based decision-making have become increasingly popular narratives in the information age, with city councils around the world looking to make use of data and research to improve the delivery of services and make more informed decisions. This case study explores the evolution of using data and research, enabled by technology, to improve outcomes...
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Publication - Policy Brief
The case for clean air in Kigali: An assessment of sources and solutions, economic impacts, and implications for policy
Only 1% of the population living in urban areas in the low and middle-income countries breathe air that meets WHO air quality guidelines.Rising demand for mobility is a central cause of declining air quality, but encouraging mobility is fundamental for driving social and economic development. Using state-of-the-art air quality monitoring equipment, this policy brief...
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Publication - Growth Brief
Sustainable urbanisation in developing countries: Cities as places to innovate, trade, and work
As the transition to a net zero global economy takes hold, there will be new opportunities for growth across a wide range of urban industries and services. City governments in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia need to proactively plan how they will leverage this to deliver on local productivity and job creation objectives. The climate crisis urgently calls for a new...
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Publication - Project Report
Impact of COVID-19 on fresh produce supply chains: Evidence from Pakistan
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Publication - Policy Brief
Impact of COVID-19 on fresh produce supply chains
Farming remains the predominant occupation and source of income for 48% of the population of Punjab, Pakistan. Recent studies have provided suggestive evidence on the exploitation of farmers by middlemen through low offer prices and informal loans. Very little research has been done to investigate this influential position occupied by the different tiers of...
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Publication - Growth Brief
Sustainable urbanisation in developing countries: Cities as places to live
Climate change has presented cities with new challenges and opportunities for improving their liveability. If well-managed, cities offer both adaptation and mitigation benefits, as well as sustainable development opportunities, that other forms of living cannot. Climate change can no longer be ignored. Estimates suggest that inaction could cost the global economy between...
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Publication - Working Paper
Searching for customers, finding pollution
In developing countries, most manufacturing firms are small and located in high-density urban areas, often near congested streets. To study the determinants and implications of this location choice, we collect a novel firm survey and detailed air pollution measurements within Ugandan cities. We find that firms locate on the busiest roads searching for customer visibility,...
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Publication - Project Report
Rebuilding the social compact: Urban service delivery and property taxes in Pakistan
This impact evaluation investigates whether strengthening the link between local taxation and urban services can revitalise the social compact between citizen and state. A significant challenge to the provision of local public services in developing economies is the inability to raise adequate resources, especially through local taxation. In many countries, the social...
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Publication - Project Report
Government demand and domestic firm growth: Evidence from Uganda
Using detailed administrative data, this paper analyses the relationship between participation in public procurement (selling to government entities) and firm performance in Uganda. We find positive associations with total sales, gross profits, total compensation of employees, number of workers and sales per employee. Overall sales growth associated with selling to...
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Publication - Project Report
Constraints to female entrepreneurship in Pakistan
Publication - Policy Brief
Responding to imported inflation in Uganda: Distributional impacts and policy options
Inflation is ravaging the world, driven by a combination of post-pandemic supply chain disruptions, a rebound in global demand, and the war in Ukraine. The first round-effects of the global inflation surge in Uganda have occurred via jumps in the prices of seven principal commodities, delivering particularly adverse hits to the incomes of the poor. As a small open...