The Political Economy of Cities: American and Comparative Perspectives

Why do cities grow, prosper, or decay? How are cities managed and organized? How can we make our cities better? This course is an introduction to the political economy of the cities, and the challenges and opportunities that we face today to build safe, inclusive, and sustainable cities. We will examine how economic and political factors shape cities, urban life, and urbanization processes using theories and methods from different social science disciplines (political science, economics, sociology, geography, etc.). Particular attention will be given to comparing urban processes across time and place, including cities from the U.S. and from all around the world, and critically evaluating the efforts of different actors to shape and reshape the city.