Economics of Cities

Undergraduate

This seminar explores the economic forces shaping cities, their structure, and the lives of their residents. Topics include why cities exist, urban amenities & disamenities, housing markets, segregation, transportation infrastructure, and the political economy of local governments. The course emphasizes both the core theoretical models of urban economics and policy-relevant empirical applications, such as zoning reform, affordable housing programs, congestion pricing, and climate adaptation. Prerequisites: Intermediate micro and econometrics and a working knowledge of calculus and some basic statistics. Problem sets involve some coding and data analysis. SO W 1:30pm-3:25pm