Paul Smoke

About Paul Smoke

Paul Smoke teaches courses on development planning, urban public finance, local governance and development assistance in developing countries. His research and policy interests include urban and regional development and the political economy of public sector decentralization. He previously taught at DUSP/MIT and worked with the Harvard Institute for International Development.

Areas of Expertise

International Development Planning

Selected Publications

“Fiscal Decentralization and Subnational Government Investment in Developing Countries: The Case for Increasing Subnational Borrowing and Commercial Debt.” International Center for Public Policy Working Paper. Atlanta, GA: Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, 2023. , “Subnational Government Responses to the Covid-19 Pandemic: Expectations, Realities and Lessons for the Future.” (With Mehmet Tosun and Serdar Yilmaz). Public Administration and Development Vol. 43 (2023), No. 2, pp. 97-105. , Using Administrative Decentralization to Support Climate Change Response: Navigating Concepts, Experience and Options for Action. (With Mitchell Cook). Climate Governance Papers. Washington, DC: The World Bank, 2022. , \Rediscovering Urban Finance: Strengthening an Overlooked Foundation of Urban Planning.\ In Vanessa Watson, Smita Srinivas and Gautam Bhan, eds. Planning in the Global South (London: Routledge, 2019).

Recent Courses Taught

Decentralized Development Planning, Financing Local Governments in Developing Countries, Development Assistance, Accountability and Aid Effectivenss, Institutions, Governance and Economic Development