Why Charter Cities Won’t Lead to Decentralized Government

Charter cities are presented as a tool for spurring development, but the article argues they are unlikely to decentralize government and that their success depends on strong host governments. It notes that Hong Kong, Macau, Dubai and Abu Dhabi were backed by single established governments, while the Honduran ZEDE project has stalled amid resistance from parts of the elite, according to Mark Klugmann's comments to the BBC. The article concludes that charter cities would tend to strengthen existing states rather than weaken them, and questions what value the concept adds apart from the wider trend of state-led development.