Paul Romer: The world's first charter city?

譯者: Chueh-chen Wang 審譯者: Jenny Yang

In 2007,

在2007年時，

I decided that we needed to reconceptualize

我覺得我們需要重新思考

how we thought about economic development.

我們如何看經濟發展

Our new goal should be

我們的新目標應該是

that when every family thinks about where they want to live and work,

當任何一個家庭在思考他們想住哪裡時

they should be able to choose between

他們都應該要能夠從

at least a handful

至少幾個

of different cities

不同

that were all competing to attract new residents.

爭著吸引新居民的城市中做出選擇

Now we're a long way away from that goal right now.

我們現在離那個目標還相當遠

There are billions of people in developing countries

在開發中國家裡有上百萬的人民

who don't have even a single city that would be willing to welcome them.

是沒有任何一個城市願意歡迎他們的

But the amazing thing about cities

但是，關於城市，最讓人驚奇的是

is they're worth so much more

它們的價值遠超過

than it costs to build them.

建造它們的成本

So we could easily supply the world

所以，我們能夠很容易地在這世界上蓋起

with dozens, maybe hundreds,

幾十座，可能幾百座

of new cities.

新城市

Now this might sound preposterous to you

關於這點，如果你從未認真思考過城市

if you've never thought about new cities.

你可能覺得這聽起來很荒謬

But just substitute apartment building for cities.

但是，只要用城市去取代公寓建築

Imagine half the people who wanted to be in apartments already had them;

想像一下，在想要住公寓的人們裡，一半的人已經擁有公寓可住了

the other half aren't there yet.

另一半的人還沒有

You could try and expand the capacity

你可以試著藉由在現有公寓上加蓋

by doing additions on all the existing apartments.

來擴大容積

But you know what you'd run into

但你知道你會碰到的情況是

is those apartments and the surrounding areas

那些公寓及周遭區域

have rules to avoid discomfort

都有的規定以避免不適

and the distractions of construction.

以及工程所帶來的干擾

So it's extremely hard to do all of those additions.

所以要做那些加蓋是非常難的

But you could go out someplace brand new,

然而，你可以去一個全新的環境

build a brand new apartment building,

蓋一棟全新的公寓大樓

as long as the rules there

只要那裡的規定是

were ones that facilitated construction

方便工程進行

rather than getting in the way.

而非帶來阻撓的

So I proposed

因此，我建議

that governments create new reform zones

政府創造全新的「改革區」

big enough to hold cities

是大到可以容納城市

and gave them a name: charter cities.

並且將它取名為「特區市」

Later I learned that at about this same time,

後來我發現大約在我提出這個看法的同一時間

Javier and Octavio

哈維爾及奧克塔維歐

were thinking about the challenge of reform

也正在思考在宏都拉斯

in Honduras.

改革的挑戰

They knew that about 75,000 Hondurans every year

他們知道每年大約有75,000宏都拉斯人

would leave to go to the United States,

會離鄉，前往美國

and they wanted to ask, what could they do

所以他們想問問，他們可以做些什麼

to make sure that those people could stay

以確保這些人會留下來

and do the same things in Honduras.

並且在宏都拉斯做一樣的工作

At one point, Javier said to Octavio,

就在某個時間點，哈維爾告訴奧克塔維歐

"What if we took some of our empty land --

「假如我們將國內一部分的空地

what if we just gave it to an embassy --

直接送給一個大使館

give some to the U.S. embassy; give some to the Canadian embassy --

一部分送給美國大使館，一部分送給加拿大大使館

and then if people want to go work

然後假如人們想要

under the rules of Canada or under the rules of the United States,

在加拿大的法規或美國的法規下工作

they can go get jobs,

他們可以在那裡找到工作

do everything they do on those embassy grounds

在那些大使館領土上做所有他們正在做的工作

that they would otherwise have to go to Canada or the U.S. to do?"

而非必須到加拿大或美國才能做，這樣的結果會如何？」

In the summer of 2009,

在2009年夏天

Honduras went through a wrenching constitutional crisis.

宏都拉斯經歷一場折磨人的憲法危機

At the next regularly scheduled election,

在隔一次的正規選舉中

Pepe Lobo won in a landslide

派比羅柏獲得壓倒性勝利

on a platform that promised reform,

他在競選中不只承諾了改革

but reconciliation as well.

也承諾了和解

He asked Octavio to be his chief of staff.

他聘奧克塔維歐擔任他的參謀長

Meanwhile, I was getting ready

同時間，我正準備要

to give a talk at TEDGlobal.

在TEDGlobal上進行一場演說

Through a process of refinement,

透過一個改良過程

trial and error, a lot of user testing,

透過反覆試驗，許多使用者的測試

I tried to boil this complicated concept of charter city

我試著將這個複雜的「特區市」觀念

down to the bare essentials.

簡化到其本質

The first point was the importance of rules,

第一個重點是，法規的重要性

like those rules that say

像是那些說

you can't come in and disturb all the existing apartment holders.

你不能進來之後去打擾現有公寓住戶的規定

We pay a lot of attention to new technologies,

我們很關心新科技

but it takes technologies and rules to get progress,

但要有所進展，是必須同時靠科技與法規

and it's usually the rules that hold us back.

而且常見的情況是，法規會限制我們

In the fall of 2010, a friend from Guatemala

在2010年的秋天，一位來自瓜地馬拉的朋友

sent Octavio a link to the TEDTalk.

寄一個TEDTalk的網址連結給奧克塔維歐

He showed it to Javier.

然後他又把連結秀給哈維爾看

They called me.

然後他們倆跟我聯絡

They said, "Let's present this to the leaders of our country."

他們說：「我們把這個概念提議給我們國家的領導吧」

So in December we met in Miami,

所以十二月時，我們在邁阿密見了面

in a hotel conference room.

在一間飯店的會議室裡

I tried to explain this point

我試著解釋這個概念

about how valuable cities are,

就是城市是多麼有價值

how much more valuable they are than they cost.

城市的價值遠高過它們的建造成本

And I used this slide

而且我用這張投影片

showing how valuable the raw land is

秀出在紐約市裡的空地

in a place like New York City:

是多麼有價值

notice, land that's worth thousands of dollars, in some cases,

請注意，在某些例子裡，土地一平方公尺

per square meter.

就價值好幾千元美金

But it was a fairly abstract discussion,

但那是一場很抽象的討論

and at some point when there was a pause,

在過程中的某個時點出現一陣靜默

Octavio said,

然後，奧克塔維歐就說：

"Paul, maybe we could watch the TEDTalk."

「保羅，也許我們應該看一下那場TEDTalk。」

(Laughing)

（笑聲）

So the TEDTalk laid out in very simple terms,

所以，那場TEDTalk很清楚地解釋道

a charter city is a place

一個「特區市」是

where you start with uninhabited land,

你以一塊無人居住的土地為基礎

a charter that specifies the rules that will apply there

一個明文規定適用於此地法規的憲章

and then a chance for people to opt in,

以及一個讓人們選擇是否加入的機會

to go live under those rules or not.

一個選擇是否在那些法規之下生活的機會

So I was asked by the president of Honduras

那我就被宏都拉斯總統詢問

who said that we need to do this project,

他說他們需要這樣的計畫

this is important,

這是相當重要的

this could be the way forward for our country.

這可能是我們國家的未來之路

I was asked to come to Tegucigalpa

我被邀請到德古斯加巴（宏都拉斯首都）

and talk again on January fourth and fifth.

於一月四日及五日再做一次演說

So I presented

所以我就給了

another fact-filled lecture

又一場引述大量實際資料的演說

that included a slide like this,

其中包含一張像這樣的投影片

which tried to make the point that, if you want to create a lot of value in a city,

這張投影片的重點是，如果你想要為一座城市創造很多的價值

it has to be very big.

它必須很大

This is a picture of Denver,

這是一張丹佛市的照片

and the outline is the new airport that was built in Denver.

那個外框是丹佛市的新蓋機場

This airport alone

光是機場本身

covers more than 100 square kilometers.

就佔地超過100平方公里

So I was trying to persuade the Hondurans,

所以，我當時就試著說服宏都拉斯人

if you build a new city,

假如你要建造一座新城市

you've got to start with a site that's at least 1,000 square kilometers.

你必須從一塊至少1000平方公里大的土地開始

That's more than 250 hundred-thousand acres.

那是超過兩億英畝的土地

Everybody applauded politely.

每個人都很禮貌地鼓掌

The faces in the audience

觀眾的表情

were very serious and attentive.

看起來很嚴肅又專注

The leader of the congress came up on stage and said,

會議的主席就走上台，說：

"Professor Romer, thank you very much for your lecture,

「羅默教授，謝謝您今天的演講，

but maybe we could watch the TEDTalk.

但也許我們可以看一下那場TEDTalk。」

I've got it here on my laptop."

我這台筆記型電腦裡有檔案

So I sat down, and they played the TEDTalk.

所以我就坐下來，他們就播放那場TEDTalk

And it got to the essence,

那場演講觸及到「特區市」概念的本質

which is that a new city could offer new choices for people.

也就是，一個可以提供人們機會的新城市

There would be a choice of a city which you could go to

會有讓你選擇居住城市的機會

which could be in Honduras,

這個城市會在宏都拉斯境內

instead of hundreds of miles away in the North.

而非在幾百公里遠的北方

And it also involved new choices for leaders.

而且這也為領導者提供了新的選擇

Because the leaders in the government there in Honduras

因為宏都拉斯境內的政府領導者

would need help from partner countries,

會需要合作國家的協助

who could benefit from partner countries

也會受惠於那些有合作關係的國家

who help them set up the rules in this charter and the enforcement,

這些國家協助憲章裡法規的建立及執行

so everybody can trust

那麼所有人都可以相信

that the charter really will be enforced.

那個憲章會被落實

And the insight of President Lobo

而羅柏總統的洞見是

was that that assurance of enforcement

對於我所想的

that I was thinking about

對於執行上的保證

as a way to get the foreign investors to come in and build the city

會是吸引外國投資人進來建造城市的一種方式

could be equally important for all the different parties in Honduras

這也對宏都拉斯境內的所有團體都是同等重要的

who had suffered for so many years

這些團體都承受了這麼多年的

from fear and distrust.

恐懼及不信任

We went and looked at a site.

我們來到一個地點進行視察

This picture's from there.

這張照片是在那裡拍的

It easily could hold a thousand square kilometers.

那裡絕對超過一千平方公里

And shortly thereafter, on January 19th,

在那不久之後，於一月十九日

they voted in the congress to amend their constitution

他們在國會上修訂了憲法

to have a constitutional provision

增訂一則憲法條文

that allows for special development regions.

允許特殊發展區域的存在

In a country which had just gone through this wrenching crisis,

在一個才剛經歷這樣一場折磨人的危機的國家裡

the vote in the congress in favor of this constitutional amendment

國會裡的投票結果中，贊成這項憲法修訂文

was 124 to one.

是124票贊成對1票反對

All parties, all factions in society, backed this.

整個社會的所有政黨、派系皆支持

To be part of the constitution, you actually have to pass it twice in the congress.

要成為憲法的一部分，必須要讓條文在國會中通過兩次

On February 17th they passed it again

在二月十七日，他們再度通過法案

with another vote of 114 to one.

結果是114票贊成對1票反對

Immediately after that vote,

在那場投票不久後

on February 21st to the 24th,

於二月二十一至二十四日間

a delegation of about 30 Hondurans

一群大約30位宏都拉斯人組成的代表團

went to the two places in the world

去了這世界上兩個

that are most interested in getting into the city building business.

對城市建造最有興趣的地方

One is South Korea.

一個是南韓

This is a picture of a big, new city center

這張照片呈現一個巨大、全新的市中心

that's being built in South Korea --

那是蓋在南韓

bigger than downtown Boston.

比波士頓市中心還大

Everything you see there was built in four years,

你看到的每一樣東西都是在花了四年拿到許可證之後

after they spent four years getting the permits.

於四年之內蓋好的

The other place that's very interested in city building is Singapore.

另一個對城市建造很感興趣的地方是新加坡

They've actually built two cities already in China

它們事實上已經在中國蓋了兩座城市

and are preparing the third.

而且正準備蓋第三座

So if you think about this practically,

所以，如果你就實際層面來看

here's where we are.

我現在的位置在這裡

They've got a site; they're already thinking about this site for the second city.

他們有了地點，他們已經在思考第二座城市的地點

They're putting in place a legal system

他們在設立一個可以

that could allow for managers to come in,

引進經理人的法治系統

and also an external legal system.

以及一個外部法律系統

One country has already volunteered to let its supreme court

有一個國家已經自願以他們的最高法院

be the court of final appeal for the new judicial system there.

當做這裡新司法系統中的最終判決的法院

There's designers and builders of cities

另外還有非常感興趣的

who are very interested.

城市設計師及建築師

They even can bring with them some financing.

他們甚至可以引進一些資金

But the one thing you know they've already solved

但是，你很清楚有一件問題是他們已經先解決了

is that there's lots of tenants.

那就是有大量的房客

There's lots of businesses that would like to locate in the Americas,

有許多的公司想要在美洲落地

especially in a place with a free trade zone,

特別是在一個自由貿易區

and there's lots of people who'd like to go there.

而且還有很多人想要去那裡

Around the world, there's 700 million people

這世界上，有7億的人口

who say they'd like to move permanently someplace else right now.

說他們現在想要永久性地移居他地

There's a million a year

一年有一百萬人

who leave Latin America to go to the United States.

離開拉丁美洲，前往美國

Many of these are a father

這些人中有很多是父親

who has to leave his family behind to go get a job --

被迫離開他們的家庭，去找工作

sometimes a single mother

有時候是一位單親媽媽

who has to get enough money to even pay for food or clothing.

必須賺足夠的錢來支付食物及衣服費用

Sadly, sometimes there are even children

很讓人心痛的是，有時候甚至是小孩

who are trying to get reunited with their parents

有些個案中，他們試圖跟他們十年未見的

that they haven't seen, in some cases, for a decade.

的父母親團員

So what kind of an idea is it

那麼，思考在宏都拉斯裡蓋一個全新城市

to think about building a brand new city in Honduras?

到底是什麼樣的想法？

Or to build a dozen of these,

或者在全世界蓋十幾個這樣的城市

or a hundred of these, around the world?

或者幾百個呢？

What kind of an idea is it

堅持每一個家庭都能夠從

to think about insisting

幾個積極爭取居民的城市中做挑選

that every family have a choice of several cities

去做這樣的思考

that are competing to attract new residents?

這又是什麼樣的想法呢？

This is an idea worth spreading.

這是一個值得被傳播出去的想法

And my friends from Honduras

最後，我在宏都拉斯的朋友們

asked me to say thank you, TED.

請我們向TED說聲謝謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）