Ming Zhang, the lead urban economist in the Latin America and Caribbean Region of the World Bank, where he leads analytical work and lending operations in urban development. Before 2006, he was the Bank’s infrastructure sector coordinator in the Philippines and later team leader of the Bank’s Philippines Local Government Program. His main work include city competitiveness (Brazil), strategic infrastructure assessment (Philippines), city development strategies (Brazil, China, Philippines), municipal financing and decentralization (Philippines, Brazil), housing finance (Brazil, Colombia and Thailand), national urbanization strategies (Philippines, China, Brazil), and water and wastewater strategies (China, Philippines). He has also managed numerous World Bank financed projects in the urban and water sectors. His current work focus is "Green Cities"in Brazil and other Latin America countries. He holds a B.Sc. in Geography from East China Normal University, M.A in Economics and Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of California at Berkeley.