What is carbon leakage, and why does it matter? Julian Marenz (PhD student in Economics, London Business School) joined us to discuss the complex impact of European carbon taxes on developing countries, and the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development research project that is trying to measure it. Tell us more about the research study,…
Firestone is one of the oldest and largest natural rubber plantations in the world. Founded in 1926 in Liberia by Harvey Firestone, the plantations continue to provide employment for thousands of Liberians to date. Till Trojer, a post-doctoral researcher at the Wheeler Institute, anthropologist and filmmaker, travelled to Liberia last year in May to film…
Wheeler Institute launches new micro website showcasing business research with a focus on development. The Wheeler Institute has launched a micro website under the banner ‘Business research for impact’. Spanning every urgent social issue from climate change to political economy and gender discrimination to global conflict, the new microsite brings together the Institute’s research into…
The Wheeler Institute is delighted to welcome three new pre-doctoral researchers. They reveal what brought them to London Business School and what they hope to achieve in their research.
The success of urban policies depends on municipal and state capacity. Government in Africa, especially at the local level, suffers from low fiscal capacity, but there are signs of improvement. We have seen through this series that government policy has a role to play in ensuring that cities develop productively. However, without public funds and…
Two Pre-Doctoral Researchers at the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development reveal how the experience has profoundly shaped their academic ambitions – and yielded some surprising insights along the way Whatever preconceptions Pre-Doctoral students have before they join the Wheeler Institute, they are always surprised to find that the experience is much broader than they…
Through pre-emptive urban planning the government can signal public investment and encourage coordinated private investment in land. How can land and housing policy improve real-estate markets in African cities? Slums are characterised by both low public and private capital investment and are pervasive in urban Africa. Various policy responses are proposed to create urban neighbourhoods…
Customary land-tenure systems, which can work well in the rural hinterland, cannot accommodate the high prices and complex land markets of large, modern cities. There are at least two key institutional features that present challenges to the land markets of African cities: a lack of property rights and minimal urban planning. Property rights are fundamental…
Urbanisation in Africa represents a huge opportunity for the continent. The increased concentration of people in urban spaces is good for workers and businesses alike, since economic density will bring gains in productivity and quality of life. There are 500 million people living in African cities with another 700 million expected by 2050. This population…
Investigating how meritocracy enables economic growth Socioeconomic inequality is on the rise across the globe, yet research suggests that citizens in unequal societies characterized by greater inequality are generally less concerned about inequality than those in more egalitarian societies. One possible explanation for this is that people may be more likely to accept inequality if…
