Aspen Ignites: The Future of Cities

In this Aspen Ignites episode, the Director of City Innovation at the Aspen Institute Bunmi Akinnusotu discusses the role of cities in times of global challenges and the significance of diversity and understanding within urban communities with Itoro Bassey, journalist & segment producer at the BBC News. Bunmi emphasizes the role of institutions in shaping the identity of a city and inspiring its residents to connect with one another.
Acknowledging that city leaders and mayors can often feel lonely when dealing with their cities' unique problems and circumstances, this conversation highlights the importance of convening mayors to learn from one another and feel supported in their work.
Furthermore, Bunmi and Itoro touch on the emergence of Africa as an inspiring leader on the global stage, with African cities like Accra, Lagos, and Cape Town leading in innovation and youth engagement.
The interview finally concludes with a vision for the future of Bloomberg CityLab, an initiative that strives to engage city leaders from around the world, in exploring the impact of city initiatives on individuals' lives.
Aspen Ignites: Conversations to Build a Better World is an original series from the Aspen Institute, bringing together influential voices and diverse perspectives with Institute directors and partners. This season of Aspen Ignites was recorded at the 2023 Bloomberg CityLab.
About the Aspen Institute:
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
Follow us on social media for more big ideas:
On RUclips: @aspeninstitute
On Instagram: / aspeninstitute
On Facebook: / aspeninstitute
On LinkedIn: / the-aspen-institute
On X: / aspeninstitute

[@mikewhit]

there are many people in Lagos in specific who are getting into the software field.. but to say "African cities produce the most innovation" would be like a white person here saying, "European cities produce the best innovation" 😂
but there are still many dangers in Lagos, whether it is kidnappings or super violent stories of local justice (a person in a ditch by the side of the road type stuff)
then again when she said something about, "mayors are the most important person to set an example in a city" that also raised an eyebrow..