ECON 374 : Special Topic: Urban Economics

Business and Economics

2022 Semester Two (1225) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Explores the growth and impact of cities, as well as the role of policies that impact their form, structure and economy. What explains the explosive growth in urbanisation over the last 100 years? How do firms and individuals decide where to locate? How can we address current urban problems like crime, poverty, traffic congestion, sprawl, gentrification and pollution?

Course Overview

This course is an introduction to the economics of cities, providing a theoretical understanding of how residents, workers, developers and government interact to shape urban form. The objective of this course is to provide students with an appreciation of the principal concepts of urban economics with emphasis on their application to public policy and the political economy. The course progress in three stages. Stage one introduces the basic Alonso Muth Mills modal analysing within-urban spatial structures. Stage two introduces modifications including the effects of dispersed employment and multiple city centers, infrastructure improvements and regulatory effects. We will also discuss the drivers of urban sprawl, the role of infrastructure and the use of cost benefit analysis in policymaking.   Stage three looks at the political economy of cities and the role of local and central government in shaping urban form. 

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: ECON 201

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Commerce

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Be able to analyse and interrogate economic models that determine urban form (Capability 2 and 3)
  2. Critically evaluate and present an academic paper in the urban economics literature (Capability 2 and 4.1)
  3. Identify, describe and analyse key insights from modifications to the urban model (Capability 2, 3 and 4.2)
  4. Describe of the use and application of cost benefit analysis in urban policy (Capability 1, 2 and 3)
  5. Actively participate in class discussions (Capability 2, 4.1 and 4.3)
  6. Critically evaluate urban public policy applications (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4.1 and 4.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Test 20% Individual Test
Presentation 30% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 50% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Test
Presentation
Final Exam

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2-3 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 5 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 5 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including lectures and tutorials.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will be available as recordings.
The course will include live online events including a small number of lectures.
Attendance on campus is required for the test and the exam.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Course textbook:

Brueckner, J, 2011, Lectures on Urban Economics, MIT

Reference textbooks:

a. Glaeser, 2009, Cities, Agglomeration and Spatial Equilibrium, Oxford University Press

b. Glaeser, 2014, Triumph of the City, Penguin Group

c. Fischel, 2015, Zoning Rules! The economics of land use regulation, Lincoln Institute of Land

Policy

d. Bertaud, 2019, Order without design: How markets shape cities, The MIT Press.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

I have included a new lecture on the future of cities following the experience of CV19 and increasingly prevalence of working from home

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 27/07/2022 10:55 a.m.