About the course

The course aims to provide an economic framework in which to analyse the structure of economic activity within the urban and regional context; the impact of this structure on urban form; the role of government at the local level and local economic policy applications. Topics include: The determinants of industrial, commercial and residential location. The interaction between activities within a spatial context. The economics of land markets and of the development process. The determinants of rents and densities. Economic models of urban structure. Sources of market failure in the urban economy. The rationale of government intervention. Techniques of intervention in the urban and environmental context. The role of the public sector: pricing, allocation, production and investment decisions. Urban and regional economic policy issues.