Economics of Urban Planning Lecture Series

An in-depth 24-hour syllabus integrating urban economic theories, planning, policy, and literature

Highlights

Comprehensive Structure: Detailed breakdown of a 24-hour lecture series covering urban economics fundamentals to advanced urban planning issues.
Theoretical and Empirical Integration: Sessions combine economic theories, land use, transportation, housing markets, public finance, and environmental economics.
Rich Literature Resources: Extensive reading list including seminal texts and scholarly articles for deep insights into urban development and policy.

Course Description

This special lecture series is designed for students and practitioners interested in the economics of urban planning. Spread over 24 hours and divided into 12 two-hour sessions, the course explores the economic principles that underlie urban development and planning. Topics include the dynamics of land use, firm location and clustering, transportation and infrastructure, housing market dynamics, public policy and local governance, environmental issues, and urban sustainability. The course aims to build a robust theoretical framework complemented by empirical examples and case studies, drawing from influential literature in the fields of urban economics and planning.

Lecture Series Outline

Session Breakdown

Lectures 1-2: Introduction to Urban Economics

Contents: Overview of urban economics, historical evolution of cities, urbanization, agglomeration economies, and the role of cities in economic growth.
Key Concepts: Agglomeration, economies of scale, network effects.
Literature: Glaeser, E. L. (2011). Triumph of the City; Mills, E. S. (1967). Aggregative models.

Lectures 3-4: Urban Land Use and Zoning

Contents: Analysis of urban structure, land use patterns, zoning regulations, and impacts on development and property values.
Key Concepts: Zoning laws, mixed-use development, land rent theory.
Literature: Brueckner, J. K. (2000). Urban Sprawl: Diagnosis and Remedies; Gyourko, J. & Saiz, A. (2006). Construction costs.

Lectures 5-6: Transportation and Urban Infrastructure

Contents: Interrelationship between transportation systems and urban form, infrastructure development, congestion management, and public transit models.
Key Concepts: Transportation demand, congestion pricing, infrastructure investments.
Literature: Downs, A. (1962). Law of Peak-Hour Expressway Congestion; Small, K. A. (1992). Urban Transportation Economics.

Lectures 7-8: Housing Markets and Policy Interventions

Contents: Examination of housing supply and demand, market dynamics, rent control, and policy interventions to address affordability.
Key Concepts: Housing affordability, market failures, government interventions.
Literature: Malpezzi, S. (2003). Housing Prices and Externalities; Quigley, J. M. (2007). Rent Control: A Review of the Evidence.

Lectures 9-10: Urban Public Finance and Local Governance

Contents: Local government fiscal policies, revenue sources, expenditure patterns, and challenges in urban budgeting.
Key Concepts: Fiscal federalism, tax incidence, public goods provision.
Literature: Inman, R. P. (2008). The Flypaper Effect; Ladd, H. F. (1998). Overview of Local Government Taxation.

Lectures 11-12: Urban Environmental Economics

Contents: Urban environmental challenges, economic valuation of green spaces, and policy instruments for sustainable urban development.
Key Concepts: Environmental externalities, green urbanism, sustainable planning.
Literature: Freeman, A. M. (2003). Environmental and Resource Valuation; Kahn, M. E. (2006). Green Cities: Urban Growth and the Environment.

Lectures 13-14: Urban Labor Markets and Human Capital

Contents: Analysis of urban labor dynamics, human capital formation, and the impact of education and training policies on urban economy.
Key Concepts: Spatial distribution of jobs, skill mismatches, urban productivity.
Literature: Glaeser, E. L. & Resseger, M. G. (2010). Cities and Skills; Moretti, E. (2012). The New Geography of Jobs.

Lectures 15-16: Urban Poverty and Social Inequality

Contents: Examination of urban poverty, income inequality, and the socio-economic impacts of inadequate urban planning. Discussion on anti-poverty measures.
Key Concepts: Neighborhood effects, income distribution, policy-driven solutions.
Literature: Galster, G. C. (2008). Social Consequences of Poverty; Sampson, R. J. (2012). Great American City.

Lectures 17-18: Urban Planning Process and Governance

Contents: Overview of urban planning institutions, community participation, decision-making in urban design, and governance frameworks.
Key Concepts: Collaborative planning, participatory governance, institutional frameworks.
Literature: Healey, P. (2006). Collaborative Planning; Sager, T. (2013). Revitalizing Urban Planning.

Lectures 19-20: Urbanization and Economic Development

Contents: Linking urbanization with national economic growth, examining urban-rural interactions, and understanding regional development dynamics.
Key Concepts: Urban-rural linkages, regional development, economic spillovers.
Literature: Henderson, J. V. (2003). Urbanization Process and Economic Growth; World Bank (2009). Systems of Cities.

Lectures 21-22: Urban Globalization

Contents: Impact of globalization on urban spaces, the role of global city networks, trade, and international investment in urban development.
Key Concepts: Global cities, competitive urban regions, transnational urban networks.
Literature: Sassen, S. (2001). The Global City; Taylor, P. J. (2004). World City Network.

Lectures 23-24: Synthesis, Future Trends, and Emerging Policies

Contents: Recap of the key concepts, discussions on emerging urban trends such as smart cities, resilience planning, and new approaches to urban economic challenges.
Key Concepts: Future urban trends, technology in urban planning, policy innovation.
Literature: Glaeser, E. L. (2011). Triumph of the City; Florida, R. (2010). The Great Reset.

Assessment and Course Details

Assessment Components:
• Class participation and attendance: 20%
• Assignments and case studies: 40%
• Midterm and final examinations: 30%
• Research paper: 10%

This syllabus is designed to be adaptable, with each session supplemented by guest lectures and interactive case studies, encouraging robust discussions and practical insights into urban planning and economics.

Overview Table: Lecture Sessions and Key Focus Areas

Session	Focus Area	Key Concepts	Literature References
1-2	Introduction to Urban Economics	Agglomeration, Economies of Scale	Glaeser (2011); Mills (1967)
3-4	Urban Land Use & Zoning	Zoning, Land Rent Theory	Brueckner (2000); Gyourko & Saiz (2006)
5-6	Transportation & Infrastructure	Congestion Pricing, Infrastructure Investment	Downs (1962); Small (1992)
7-8	Housing Markets & Policy	Affordable Housing, Rent Control	Malpezzi (2003); Quigley (2007)
9-10	Public Finance & Governance	Fiscal Federalism, Taxation	Inman (2008); Ladd (1998)
11-12	Environmental Economics	Green Spaces, Sustainability	Freeman (2003); Kahn (2006)
13-14	Labor Markets & Human Capital	Skill Formation, Urban Productivity	Glaeser & Resseger (2010); Moretti (2012)
15-16	Poverty & Inequality	Income Distribution, Neighborhood Effects	Galster (2008); Sampson (2012)
17-18	Planning Process & Governance	Collaborative Planning, Community Engagement	Healey (2006); Sager (2013)
19-20	Urbanization & Economic Growth	Urban-Rural Linkages	Henderson (2003); World Bank (2009)
21-22	Globalization & Urban Competitiveness	Global City Networks	Sassen (2001); Taylor (2004)
23-24	Synthesis & Future Trends	Smart Cities, Policy Innovaton	Glaeser (2011); Florida (2010)