University of Illinois Economics 414: Urban Economics Spring Monday and Wednesday, 11:00 12: DKH

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1 Instructor: Professor Daniel McMillen 403 DKH (IGPA, messages) (Economics) Office Hours: M, 2:00-3:30 W, 9:00-10:30 Course Outline and Objectives: Prerequisite: Readings: University of Illinois Economics 414: Urban Economics Spring 2010 Monday and Wednesday, 11:00 12: DKH The course is divided into three parts. The first is Urban Growth. This part of the course analyzes the economic forces that cause cities to form and grow. It explains where cities develop, why some are large and others are small, and how many cities exist in a region. The second part of the course develops the Monocentric City Model, which explains the equilibrium land rent and land-use patterns within a city. The final part of the course focuses on urban problems such as poverty, inadequate housing, transportation, and local public finance. By the end of the course, the student should have a basic familiarity with the stylized facts of cities and urban land markets, and should understand the theoretical and empirical tools used to analyze urban land markets and public policy issues. Econ 102 or equivalent; Econ 302 is strongly recommended. A basic course in statistics or econometrics will be helpful in understanding the material, but is not required. The required text is Urban Economics and Real Estate, by John McDonald and Daniel McMillen. For those who like to see alternative treatments of a topic, Urban Economics by Arthur O Sullivan is a good alternative. Supplemental readings will also be required. The supplemental readings will be available on compass. 1

2 Course Requirements and Grading: Grades will be based on two mid-terms and a final. The exams will comprise short-answer essay questions and problem-solving using the tools developed in class. Exam questions are based primarily on course lectures, so regular attendance is helpful for earning a good grade. Questions tend to be extensions of the problems covered in class, with emphasis placed on diagrammatical analysis. Grades are based on a combination of an absolute scale and a curve. Except in situations of poor attendance, questions of academic integrity, and other unusual circumstances, the following is the strictest grading scale that will be applied: Letter Grade Percentage of Total Possible Points A [85% - 100%] B [75% - 85%) C [65% - 75%) D [55% - 65%) The requirements for a letter grade may be lowered based on the distribution of scores at the end of the semester. Any change in the curve will be applied equally to all students. Plus or minus grades are reserved for point totals falling near natural breaks in the point distribution. Attendance plays a major role in determining plus or minus grades. Exams: Midterm 1 (30%): 11:00-12:20, Wednesday, February 24 Midterm 2 (30%): 11:00-12:20, Wednesday, April 7 Final (35%): 7:00-9:00 pm, Monday, May 10 Quizzes (5%): Unannounced These are the only time and dates when the exams may be taken. Please see me well in advance of the exam if university athletic events, etc., require you to be away during an exam. There are no circumstances under which you will be permitted to make up a missed exam unless (1) I have approved the absence prior to the exam or (2) you have contacted me prior to the exam to let me know of an emergency. An emergency illness, etc., must be verified in writing by the Emergency Dean or the missed exam will result in a grade of zero. In addition, several unannounced quizzes will be held over the course of the semester. Quizzes will begin promptly at 11:00; anyone who is not there at 11:00 will not be able to take the quiz. The quizzes will be graded on a simple pass/fail basis. No opportunity will be provided to make up for missed quizzes. Academic Integrity: Violations of academic integrity as given in the Code of Policies and Regulations will be taken extremely seriously, and students found cheating in the course (or helping others to cheat) will be penalized according to the Code s guidelines. 2

3 Week 1. Jan. 20. Why do Cities Exist? Tentative Course Outline McDonald and McMillen, Chapter 3 (especially Section D) Rappaport, Jordan and Jeffrey D. Sachs, 2003, The US as a Coastal Nation, Journal of Economic Growth, 8, 5-46 (focus on the maps). Week 2. Jan. 25, 27. Firm Location, Central Place Theory McDonald and McMillen, Chapters 3 and 4 Saxenian, AnnaLee, 1996, Inside-Out: Regional Networks and Industrial Adaptation in Silicon Valley and Route 128, Cityscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research, 2, Week 3. Feb. 1, 3. Land Rent McDonald and McMillen, Chapter 5 Bertaud, Alain, The Spatial Organization of Cities: Deliberate Outcome or Unforeseen Consequence, available at Week 4. Feb. 8, 10. Monocentric City Model Theory McDonald and McMillen, Chapters 5 and 6 Nivola, Pietro, 1998, Fat City: Understanding American Urban Form from a Transatlantic Perspective, Brookings Review, 16, Week 5. Feb. 15, 17. Monocentric City Model Theory McDonald and McMillen, Chapter 6 Glaeser, Edward L, The Economic Approach to Cities, Week 6. Feb. 22: Review for Exam Feb. 24: Midterm Exam 1 3

4 Week 7. March 1, 3. Monocentric City Model Empirics McDonald and McMillen, Chapter 7 McMillen, Daniel, Testing for Monocentricity, 2006, in A Companion to Urban Economics, Blackwell, , will be available on compass. Week 8. March 8, 10. Housing in Urban Areas McDonald and McMillen, Chapter 8 Blomquist, Glenn C, Measuring Quality of Life, 2006, in A Companion to Urban Economics, Blackwell, Week 9. March 15, 17. Housing Policy McDonald and McMillen, Chapter 9 Popkin, Susan J., Margery A. Turner, and Martha Burt, 2006, Rebuilding Affordable Housing in New Orleans: The Challenge of Creating Inclusive Communities, Urban Institute: Abravanel, Martin D., Diane Levy, and Margaret McFarland, 2009, The Uncharted, Uncertain Future of Hope VI Redevelopments: The Case of Assessing Project Sustainability, Urban Institute: Spring Break. March 22, 24. Week 10. March 29, 31. Zoning McDonald, John F. and Daniel P. McMillen, The Economics of Zoning, 2009, in Oxford University Press Handbook of Urban Economics and Planning, will be available on compass. Week 11. April 5: Review for Exam April 7: Midterm Exam 2 4

5 Week 12. April 12, 14. Local Government McDonald and McMillen, Chapter 13 Tiebout, Charles M., A Pure Theory of Local Expenditures, 1956, Journal of Political Economy, 64, Week 13. April 19, 21. The Property Tax McDonald and McMillen, Chapter 13 Anderson, Nathan B., Property Tax Limitations: An Interpretative Review, 2006, National Tax Journal, Dye, Richard F. and Daniel P. McMillen, 2007, Surprise! An Unintended Consequence of Assessment Limitations, Land Lines, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Week 14. April 26, 28. Transportation McDonald and McMillen, Chapter 14 Leape, Jonathan, The London Congestion Charge, 2006, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 20, Small, Kenneth A., Urban Transportation Policy, 2008, in Robert P. Inman, ed., The Urban Enigma: City Problems, City Prospects. Available at: Week 15. May 3, 5. Poverty in Urban Areas McDonald and McMillen, Chapters 15&16 Hoynes, Hilary W., Marianne E. Page, and Ann Huff Stevens, 2006, Poverty in America: Trends and Explanations, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 20, Hellerstein, Judith, David Neumark, and Melissa McInerney, 2008, Spatial Mismatch or Racial Mismatch, Journal of Urban Economics, 64, Final. Monday, May 10, 7:00-9:00 pm 5

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