SimCity 5: Exploring Charter Cities (and More!)

Building Tomorrow
E47 -

Paul interviews Ian Adams and Mark Lutter on two very different topics with one connection: the value of planning for the future.

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Hosts
Paul Matzko
Tech & Innovation Editor
Guests
Ian Adams

Ian Adams is Vice President of Policy at TechFreedom where his work focuses on the disruptive impact of burgeoning technologies on law and regulation. He is also a public policy attorney with the international law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. Earlier in his career, Ian was Associate Vice President of Government Affairs with the R Street Institute, where he coordinated the think tank’s outreach and engagement at the federal, state and local levels. He was also a Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellow with the office of California State Assemblyman Curt Hagman, R-​Chino Hills, while Hagman served as vice chairman of the California Assembly Insurance Committee, and served as a legislative aide with the office of Oregon state Rep. Bruce Hanna, R-​Roseburg, who was then co-​speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives. Ian is a graduate of Seattle University, with bachelor’s degrees in history and philosophy, and received his juris doctor from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the California and Illinois bars.

Mark Lutter

Dr. Mark Lutter is Founder, Executive Director, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Center for Innovative Governance Research, a nonprofit creating the ecosystem for charter cities. Prior to launching the Center for Innovative Governance Research, he was Lead Economist for NeWAY Capital, an asset management firm which made early stage investments in charter cities. During graduate school, he consulted on several new city projects and special economic zones. He has a PhD in economics from George Mason University where his research focused on charter cities. He has been published in several newspapers and magazines including CityAM, the Daily Caller, and Cato Unbound.

The theme that connects both of the interviews in today’s episode is the value of planning for the future. That can be as simple as thinking about the ways that driverless cars will affect the car insurance industry, as Ian Adams from TechFreedom discusses. Or it can be as big as Dr. Mark Lutter, Founder of the Center for Innovative Governance Research, advocating for charter cities, a place where the best urban ideas can be implemented from the outset rather than waiting for something to go wrong and having to struggle against regulatory inertia.

What is the latest regulatory news for driverless cars? What challenges do autonomous vehicles present to the insurance industry? Why is California such an innovative space? Will there be a migration pattern away from California? What is a charter city? What leads to economic growth?

Further Reading:

Creating the Charter Cities Ecosystem, written by Mark Lutter

Techquake: The Biggest Threat to California’s Tech-​Sector May Lie Directly Beneath its Feet, written by Ian Adams

California Needs to Hit the Brakes on Minimum Staffing Requirements for Automated Vehicles, written by Ian Adams

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