Each lecture is available in PDF format, and the structured weekly progression makes this ideal for self-paced study.
New, high-quality housing is built for high-income households.
Commuting costs are strictly proportional to the distance traveled.
The regional multiplier effect dictates that a rise in basic employment generates a predictable surge in non-basic employment. Core-Periphery Models (New Economic Geography)
Cities exist because the economic benefits of concentrating people and businesses outweigh the costs of crowding and high rents. urban and regional economics lecture notes pdf
Comprehensive lecture notes generally prioritize these fundamental models and concepts: URBAN AND REGIONAL ECONOMICS LECTURE NOTE
Firms from the same industry cluster together. Alfred Marshall identified three distinct drivers:
Enterprise zones, infrastructure investment, and regional development incentives.
Diversified urban clustering. Firms benefit from the overall size and economic diversity of a city, rather than a single industry (e.g., New York City). 3. Urban Land Use and the Monocentric City Model Each lecture is available in PDF format, and
Because drivers base their choices on private costs rather than social costs, traffic volumes settle well past the socially optimal point. This structural over-allocation of drivers manifests as chronic traffic gridlock. Policy Solutions
Furthermore, cities suffer from , primarily congestion and pollution. When a driver enters a congested road, they slow down everyone else, a cost they do not personally pay for. Urban economists advocate for Pigouvian taxes—such as congestion pricing—to internalize these costs and ensure the efficient use of urban infrastructure.
Why do firms and households cluster? Lecture notes typically start with the three sources of agglomeration:
Prof. Nathaniel Baum-Snow’s course page often has publicly available PDF notes focusing on quantitative spatial models—modern, math-heavy, and excellent for graduate students. The regional multiplier effect dictates that a rise
Urban and regional economics is concerned with three fundamental questions: First, why are economic activities within a country so unequally distributed across space? Second, why do cities and agglomerations of firms and workers emerge, and in what locations? Third, how are economic activities within cities distributed between the city center and the suburbs?
Use PDF annotation tools to highlight key concepts, add margin notes, and connect ideas across different lectures. The best learning happens when you actively engage with the material rather than passively reading.
If you're diving into this field, you're looking at how space, location, and distance shape our economic lives. Whether you're a student prepping for exams or just curious about how cities tick, this breakdown of essential lecture notes will help you navigate the "spatial" side of the economy. 1. Why Do Cities Even Exist? (Agglomeration)
: Why is there a wealth gap between regions? Factors like infrastructure, innovation systems, and labor mobility play a massive role. 4. Modern Challenges: Beyond the Textbooks