It is obvious that local governments cannot do without central government transfer; however, coupling with internal competition can fix decentralization for Africa’s development. Our recent study in Benin shows that when one local government received funding, its neighbors, were inspired to invest more too. With fair funding and a touch of healthy competition, decentralization can move from promise to power, driving growth, reducing inequality, and facilitating development.

In the Global South, informality (street vending informal housing etc) is often celebrated as a sign of resilience and agency, a creative response to structural exclusion. In contrast, similar forms of informality in the Global North are frequently labeled as disorder or policy failure. Is the Global South inherently disorderly with spation-economic interations? or should it pride in its micro-level resilience and agency?

Inter-municipal cooperation is key to reducing CO2 emissions in metropolitan areas. Our study of 229 cities across 16 OECD countries shows that when local governments collaborate on transport, environmental outcomes improve. Fragmented or consolidated governance structures alone are not enough. Policy coherence, enforcement, and incentives for cooperation are critical to achieving climate goals at the city-regional scale.