Astrid is an independent urban economist working across research and practice, supporting cities in Africa, the Middle East and Asia with questions of strategy related to municipal financing and funding. In addition to being a Research Associate at ODI, she has appointments as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, a Research Associate at the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town and as an Extraordinary Lecturer at the African Tax Institute. She holds an MSc in Public Financial Management from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and an MA in International Economics and International Development from Johns Hopkins University.