Econ 209: Urban Economics

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Class time: Tuesday/ Thursday 9:20 – 11:00 am on Zoom

Class Room: WM 310 B

Office: DM 301 B

Email: rasha.ahmed@trincoll.ed

Office Phone: (860) 297-2446

Office Hours on zoom: For Tuesday 4:15 – 5:30 pm click here, for Thursday 1:00 – 2:15 pm click here,  or by appointment

Study Group: 12:00 to 12:40 on zoom

Course Description and objectives

Urban economics is the study of the location choices of firms and consumers and how these choices affect city size, urban growth, poverty, spatial distribution of economic activity and people.  We will analyze the inequalities arising from location choices in terms of education, safety and other neighborhood amenities.  Throughout the course we will look at:

  1. Market forces behind the development of cities
  2. Urban growth and decline
  3. Land market and the government’s control of land use
  4. Segregation and the spatial aspects of poverty and crime
  5. Local public finance: government spending and taxation

This course will be of interest to students of varied backgrounds and interests, including economics, public policy, environmental studies and urban studies. By the end of the course I hope you can apply basic economic principles to understanding different urban phenomenon.

Text

O’Sullivan, Arthur, Urban Economics, 9th edition, Irwin McGraw-Hill.

Grading

The grade for this class will be calculated as follows:

Midterm Exam           30%

Final Exam                35%

Quizzes                    15%

Assignments              10%

Class Participation   10%

Class Work

  1. Book Chapters: You are required to review the chapters that will be covered beforehand. This will help you better understand and follow the material covered in class.  The lecture slides for each chapter are posted on my website. You are expected to print the lecture slides and bring them with you to class. Class discussion may not exactly follow the slides.
  2. Practice Sheets/ End of chapter problems: I will give out a set of practice questions every week and assign problems from the end of each chapter we cover. The practice sheets will not be collected or graded, however I expect you to do them all and bring them to class. The end of chapter problems will be collected and graded.
  3. Reading articles: There are reading articles assigned with every new topic. You are required to carefully read those articles and relate them to the concepts covered in class. There will be questions on each exam covering the readings.
  4. Discussion Sheets: Whenever a reading article is assigned I will email the class a list of discussion questions. The questions will highlight the most important parts of the readings and prepare students for class discussions. Discussion sheets will be collected when we finish discussing the article in class.
  5. Class Discussion: You are required to participate in class discussion. Participation in class discussion by asking or answering questions or commenting on the material will greatly enhance your understanding. To be able to actively participate in class discussion you should come to class prepared. Students who participate in class typically do better.
  6. Weekly Quizzes: There will be a weekly quiz every Monday morning on the material covered the week before. The quiz will take no longer than 10 minutes and will highly resemble the end of chapter problems and the practice sheets.

Policies

  1. I expect you to be in class on time and to attend every class.
  2. No cell phones, laptops or electronic devices can be used in class.
  3. I expect you to check your email regularly. If you send me an email I may not get back to you immediately but I will do my best to get back to you within 24 hours
  4. I do not give makeup quizzes, but I allow you to drop the lowest quiz grade.
  5. If you accumulate more than two unexcused absences, 1% will be deducted from your final grade for every class missed. Excused absences are those absences for which I receive a note from the Dean of Students’ office.
  6. I do not give makeup exams unless an emergency situation arises and I get notified by the Dean of Students’ office. The format of the make-up exam will be at my discretion.
  7. Assignments submitted a class after the due date will earn half credit. Assignments submitted after that will not be accepted regardless of the reason.
  8. It is your responsibility to collect your assignment from the TA.
  9. There are no “extra credit” assignments.
  10. Dishonest conduct or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Please refer to the Student Handbook for a review of requirements.
  11. Students with Academic Accommodations- Trinity College complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.  If you have a documented disability and require academic accommodations, please present your accommodations letter during my office hours within the first week of the semester.  If you do not have a letter but have a disability requiring academic accommodations, or if you have questions about applying for academic accommodations, please contact Lori Clapis, Coordinator of Accommodation Resources, at 860-297-4025 or at Lori.Clapis@trincoll.edu.
  12. I expect you to comply with the COVID guidelines of the college

Finally, students are encouraged to speak with me directly should any concerns or difficulties arise. I am happy to work with students who need extra help. Please feel free to drop by during office hours, send an email or speak with me following class time.

Course Outline

The following is an outline of the chapters that we will cover. Additional readings will be assigned as the semester progresses. The outline and dates are intended as a guide and may be changed during the semester.

Week 1: Sept 8, 10

Week 2: Sept 15, 17

  • Chapter 3: Trade and Factory Towns: Why do cities exist?
  • Assignment: 1- 8 Due Sept 22
  • O’Sullivan, Arthur (2006). “The first Cities,” available in Richard Arnott and Daniel McMillen, A Companion to Urban Economics, Blackwell Publishers  Discussion sheet due Sept 29
  • See: The Industrial Revolution Overview

Week 3: Sept 22, 24 

  • Chapter 4: Agglomeration Economies: Why Do Firms Cluster?
  • Assignment: 1,4,5,6,7 Due Oct 1
  • Glaeser, Edward (1998). “Are Cities Dying?” The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 12(2): 139-160.

Week 4: Sept 29, Oct 1

Week 5: Oct 6, 8

Midterm Exam Oct 6

Week 6: Oct 13, 15

  • Chapter 10: Land Rent and Manufacturing  Land, Office Space and Tall buildings
  • Assignment: 1-6 Due Oct 

Week 7: Oct 20, 22

Week 8: Oct 27, 29                            

Week 9: Nov 3, 5

Week 10: Nov 10, 12

 

Final Exam*  

* If you would like to get back your final exam, you may give me a self-addressed, stamped postcard or envelope and I will mail you the final exam and course grades.