Urban Economics
Fall 2008 GMU Tentative Syllabus
Economics 350, meets TuTh, 10:30-11:45pm, during Fall 2008, in
Enterprise 176.
Instructor: Robin D. Hanson, Asst. Professor, Economics
(rhanson@gmu.edu, http://robinhanson.com)
Office Hours: Officially TuTh 1:15-2:00pm. But he's usually in at 10b Carow Hall. Call ahead (703-993-2326) if you want to be sure.
Catalog Entry:
350 Regional and Urban Economics (3:3:0) Prerequisite: ECON 306 or permission of instructor. Regional development and metropolitan growth, including locational decisions of households and firms, and problems associated with high-density urban economic activity.
Recommended Text: (None are required.)
Arthur O'Sullivan, Urban Economics, McGraw-Hill Irwin, Sixth Edition, 2006, 978-0071244718,
Sample Price $86.
Assignments:
- Class Participation Please contribute to class discussions.
- Quizes Three In-Class Quizes will given. Quizes and the final are open book, open notes.
- Defended Opinions Twice you will turn in a written
defense of your opinions on an urban economics question.
- Game Discussion You have two choices:
- SimCity Play a version of SimCity twice, using two different strategies. Write a discussion of the consequences of that strategy changes. Here are some SimCity versions: free online, open source, 1993, Ninentendo DS, and 2003 version for $15.
- Board Game Play a board game that illustrates ubran economics principles, and then play it again with a rule change you hope makes it more realistic. Write a discussion of the consequences of that rule change. You may play the game with other students, but write a discussion by yourself. Ask me if your game is O.K.
Due Dates:
- Quizes: Sept 25, Oct 16, Nov 13.
- Papers: Oct 16, Nov 13, Dec 4.
- Final: 10:30a.m. - 1:15p.m., Dec 11.
Grade Weights:
Class Participate 5%, 13% per Quiz and paper, 17% final.
| Dates | Text Ch. | Lecture Topic |
| 26, 28 Aug | 1,Appendix | Introduction & Econ Review |
| 2,4 Sep | | History Review | |
| 9,11 Sep | 2 | Economies of Agglomoration | |
| 16,18 Sep | 2,4 | Cities | |
| 23,25 Sep | 3,5 | Firm Locations | Quiz Thurs. |
| 30 Sep, 2 Oct | 7 | City Land Use Patterns | |
| 7,9 Oct | 8,9 | Real Cities | |
| 14,16 Oct | | No class Tues. | Quiz, Def. Opin. due Thurs., |
| 21,23 Oct | 10 | Zoning | |
| 28,30 Oct | 11,12 | Transportation | |
| 4,6 Nov | 13,14 | Housing | |
| 11,13 Nov | 13,14 | Housing | Quiz, Def. Opin. due Thurs., |
| 18,20 Nov | 12 | Poverty and Crime | |
| 25 Nov, 1 Dec | 15,16 | Government | |
2,4 Dec | | Review & Slack | Game Disc. due Thurs.
|
Defended Opinion Topics
- Should we prefer to subsidize sidewalks or wireless internet?
- Should we make schools private and cars public?
- TBD