Pol Econ of Cities:LA Asia

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course will address the political economy of cities with a focus on Latin American and Asian cities. It will begin with general background, move onto issues and sectors, and then address city cases (approximately one-third each). The general background will address history, analytical tools, and cities as actors in the international system; and sectors such as transport, land use, and housing coping with the challenges of inequality, climate change, and rapid urbanization. Students should select a city with a population over 100,000 in Latin America or Asia, and have the selection approved by Prof. King. Students will be expected to follow the selected city throughout the semester, do a presentation to the class on “their” city, and produce a final paper comparing the chosen city with another city (from anywhere in the world, with both facing similar challenges), their challenges, focusing on one specific challenge, the policy responses, and results. It is strongly recommended that you can read the language of the cities in question in order to access sufficient background information, including media. The learning objectives of the class include: -Understanding how cities, esp. in Latin America and Asia, have developed over time. -Understanding the dynamics of key sectors, notably transport, land use, and housing, within the broader context of urban finance and governance -How to gather relevant data and information on cities in these regions -Grappling with urban challenges and the policies to address them -Presenting key challenges and policy responses of individual cities