COURSE

UGOD5140

Urban Economics and Policy Analysis

Society Hub / Urban Governance and Design · 3 Credits

This course examines the economic forces driving urban development, combining theoretical frameworks with real-world policy challenges. Key topics include agglomeration and systems of cities, urban growth and its spatial forms (sprawl vs. densification), land use patterns (zoning and growth control), transportation (road network, transit, and congestion), housing (affordability, informality, and renewal), and the role of local governments. The course will also highlight recent disruptive forces such as remote work, autonomous vehicles, platform economy, and digital governance in different urban contexts. Through case studies in policy analysis, students will become familiar with classical causal inference research design and learn to leverage emerging data sources, such as AIpowered textual repositories, satellite and street imagery, sensors, GPS, and social media.