The world is in the midst of a city-building boom
Everyone, from Donald Trump and Peter Thiel to Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, is getting involved
Africa’s tallest building is rising under empty skies. Beneath the Iconic Tower in northern Egypt sits a city that officials expect to one day house 6.5m people. For now, though, it is mostly empty—like the desert that came before it.
Egypt’s “New Administrative Capital” is part of a rush of city-building. Firms and governments are planning more settlements than at any time in the post-war period, with many already under construction. Ninety-one cities have been announced in the past decade, with 15 in the past year alone. In addition to its new capital in the north, Egypt is building five other cities, with plans for dozens more. India is considering eight urban hubs. Outside Baghdad, Iraq, workers have just broken ground on the first of five settlements.
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This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline "Boom: towns"
Finance & economics March 9th 2024
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