Announcements

  1. Course page is online. (Feb.27)
  2. Midterm Exam Result is posted. (Apr.5)
  3. Practice Questions and Answers for Chapters 8 - 12.

Personnel

Instructor: Shihomi Ara-Aksoy
(Office: İİBF, İktisat Bölümü, Email: )

Course Information

Schedule: Mondays 9:00-11:45, DK9
Office hours: By Appointment
E-mail the instructor to set up the time.
Course description: This course introduces the economics of agglomeration, urban spatial structure and housing market.  The interaction among individuals’ utility maximization, firms’ profit maximization and local government’s housing/land use policies and regulations are considered. We also analyze the urban transportation system and explore urban problems such as urban poverty, crime, and environment.
Course objective
The objective of this course is to introduce theoretical tools in the economics of urban cities, transportation, housing and the role of local government as well as the cases in Turkey and other countries. Students are expected to thoroughly understand the urban economic theory, develop a capacity to analyze contemporary urban problems, and apply the theory to assess the policy options. 

Prerequisites:
Fundamental Microeconomics knowledge

Texts

Course Syllabus

Lecture Schedule

Chapters

Contents

Introduction

[pdf]

(Feb.20)
Topics:
  • Introduction
  • What is Urban Economics?
Readings:
  • AS Chapter 1

Development of Cities (1)

[pdf]

[Practice Question Ch.2]

[Practice Answers Ch.2]

(Feb 27)
Topics:
  • Why Do Cities Exist?
Readings:
  • AS Chapter 2

Development of Cities (2)

[pdf] 

[Practice Question Ch.3]

[Practice Answers Ch.3]

 

(Mar. 5)
Topics:
  • Why Do Firms Cluster?
Readings:
  • AS Chapter 3

Development of Cities (3)

[pdf]

[Practice Question Ch.4] 

[Practice Answers Ch.4]

 

(Mar.12)
Topics:
  • City Size
Readings:
  • AS Chapter 4

Development of Cities (4)

[pdf]

[Practice Question Ch.5]

[Practice Answers Ch.5]

(Mar. 19)
Topics:
  • Urban Growth
Readings:
  • AS Chapter 5

Land Rent and Land Use Patterns (1)

[pdf]

[Practice Question Ch.6]

[Practice Answers Ch.6]

(Mar 26)
Topics:
  • Urban Land Rent
Readings:
  • AS Chapter 6

Land Rent and Land Use Patterns (2)

[pdf] 

 

(Apr. 2)
Topics:
  • Land Use Patterns
Readings:
  • AS Chapter 7

EXAM

(TBA)
MIDTERM EXAM

Land Rent and Land Use Patterns (3)

[pdf]

 

(Apr.16)
Topics:
  • Neighborhood Choice
Readings:
  • AS Chapter 8

 

[This topic has been skipped.]

(Apr.23)
Topics:
  • Zoning and Growth Control
Readings:
  • AS Chapter 9
Urban Transportation (1)(Apr.30) [pdf]
Topics:
  • Externalities from Autos
Readings:
  • AS Chapter 10

Urban Transportation (2)

[pdf]

(May 9)
Topics:
  • Mass Transit
Readings:
  • AS Chapter 11

Urban Crime

[pdf]

(May 16)
Topics:
  • Crime
Readings:
  • AS Chapter 12

Local Government

[pdf]

(May 23)
Topics:
  • The Role of Local Government
Readings:
  • AS Chapter 15

Final Exam

(TBA)
Final Exam: 

Exams

Grading Policy

Attendance:10%
Midterm Exam:40%
Final Exam50%

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