Paul Romer's radical idea: Charter cities Paul Romer: The world's first charter city?

Paul Romer's radical idea: Charter cities

Paul Romer talks about how to change rules, so to improve living in (developing) countries. He believes that we can build charter cities that runs independently from other country's rule and makes people choose whether to opt-in.  

He uses the example of China-Hong Kong, North-South Korea example to illustrate that different rules make up different living standard. Romer also arguing that different rules can be adopted as different technology. Which is a rather interesting perspective, as the later is usually more of a smaller scale: technology will be introduce if there is sufficient profit area. But rules are a set of things that can not be introduce separately.

The idea of charter city is therefor to launch these set of rules at the smallest possible scale. 

And as the cost of building a city< the value of a city, this is possible. Romer talks about the Hong Kong, Shenzhen. Indeed, many former colonial countries has enjoyed a better infrastructure/advanced rules from its occupiers, such is the case of  Taiwan from the Japanese occupation as well. What if we can replicate this process without coercion.   

Modulize. Also, he mentioned that we should invite academia to solve some of the problem such as how to draft a multi-party charter. 

Paul Romer: The world's first charter city?

In 2011, Romer talks about this subject, this time sharing an on-going project he has been participating. In Honduras they are trying to build the first charter city. He restate the important elements in building a city which are: 

1. Tenants  ( Honduras)
2. Site ( Honduras)
3. Legal system ( Canada)
4. Financing
5.  Manager/Leader 
6. Builder/ Designer ( South Korean and Singapore)

Problem to solve
How to transit the charter city? Will it always run interdependently?
How to split profit among players?