Abstract
Throughout the world, cities are drivers of economic growth. They are hubs of innovation, entrepreneurship, and social change. Yet, the mechanisms through which the economic benefits of cities occur remain poorly understood because many social and economic forces change in tandem with urbanization. This project seeks to provide causal evidence about the impacts of access to cities in rural Africa on individuals' behaviors, beliefs, and economic wellbeing. We study the randomized rollout of a program promoting urban access in rural villages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Implemented by a local NGO called Congo Helping Hands (CHH), this “City Access Program” (CAP) provides regular weekly transportation by motorbike taxi to the city of Kananga to individuals living in rural villages surrounding the city. Our project studies the effects of CHH's programs on economic behaviors and outcomes as well as on individuals' beliefs and values.