ADB Distinguished Speakers Program: Paul Romer 28 January 2015 Philippines In this session of the ADB Distinguished Speakers Series, Paul Romer gave a lecture on "Urbanization and Development: The Power of the Grid". He highlighted the critical role of urbanization in driving economic growth and catch-up, stipulating that urbanization leads to formal sector employment (initially in manufacturing), which leads to the acquisition of human capital, which leads to GDP growth, which in turn leads to increased infrastructure. He also underscored the importance of public space and planning for urban development, and addressed urban initiatives which policymakers can use in rapidly growing cities to create economic opportunity and undertake systemic social reform. Program and Learning Materials 28 January 2015 Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) Presentation Disclaimer The views expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Event Coordinator/s Rowena Vicente Related Full Agenda ADB Organizer/s Economic Research and Development Impact Department Topics Economics Urban Development Education