Emerging and developed economies face very different challenges in their city
management. In a nutshell, the task for the former is to manage growth in a way
that avoids diseconomies of scale and builds the basis for sustainable economic
performance. For the latter, simply maintaining a healthy rate of growth can be
tough, particularly in the aftermath of recession. Many developed cities are aging
and no longer attracting migrants—some are even experiencing a decline in their
populations. Instead, they have to seek new vigor from higher productivity, new
business investors, and enhanced links with the urban dynamos of emerging
regions.41