Urban Economics

ECO1410 - Urban Economics
Spring 2025 Schedule
Professor Matthew Turner
Department of Economics
Brown University

Announcements:

Under construction, fall 2024.

The following schedule describes the material to be covered during the term. The dates on which particular material will be covered and when asignments are subject to change depending on our rate of progress. Please check this schedule at least weekly for updates and changes.

Topic	Reading	Problems	Solutions
#0:Introduction. Logistics. Jan 24 Course description and requirements	Required: Duranton and Puga, JEP 2020
#1: The Monocentric City Model Jan 24, Jan 29, Jan 31, Feb 5 Notes #1	Required: Breuckner Ch. 2 , to section 2.4	PS#1, due Feb 7.	solution
#2: Evidence for the Monocentric Model Feb 7, 12 Notes #2	Recommended: Gonzalez Navarro and Turner, JUE, 2018 Gupta et al., unpublished, 2021 Just sections 1-4. Baum-Snow, QJE, 2007	PS#2, due Feb 14.	solution
#3: Monocentric city model with housing Feb 14, 26 (No class Feb. 21) Notes #3	These two readings are pretty similar. Pick the one you like best. Kraus, book chapter, 2008 Breuckner Ch. 2 and Clarke, RSA 1951	PS#3, due Feb 29.	solution
#4: Urbanization in the developed and developing world Feb 28, Mar 4 Notes #4	Required: Haines, 2001 Boustan et al. 2013 Henderson and Turner, JEL 2020 World Development Report, 2009, p49-72 Recommended: Alsan and Goldin 2019 Bryan, Chowdhury, Mobarak 2014 Munshi 2014	PS#4, due Mar 7.	solution
#5: White Flight, Gentrification, and Bid-Rent Mar 8, 11 Notes #5	Required: Cutler, Glaeser JPE 1997 Cutler, Glaeser, Vigdor QJE 1999 Boustan QJE 2010.	PS#5, due Mar 19.	solution
In class midterm, regular classroom Mar 13			2022 midterm 2024 midterm
#6: The Monocentric City with Heterogenous Households Mar 18, 20, April 1,3 Notes #6	Recommended: Heblich, Redding and Sturm, QJE 2020. This is hard, but it's worth taking a little time to look at. Try to read the first four sections and do your best with the model in section V.	PS#6, due Apr 9.	solution
#7: The Rosen-Roback Model and the Quality of Life April 8, 10 Notes #7	Required: Breuckner Ch. 11 Sinha et al. JUE 2021 This is harder than I'd like, but the best I can find. Just try to get through equation 7. Recommended: Roback, JPE 1982. This is hard, but it's worth taking a little time to look at.	PS#7, due Apr 16.	solution
#8: Agglomeration Economies Apr 15, 17 Notes #8	Required: Brueckner Ch 1 Glaeser Gottleib, JEL 2009 Recommended: Autor, book chapter, 2020 Holmes, REStat, 1999 Moretti, AER, 2021	PS#8, due Apr 23.	solution
#9: Systems of cities and Zipf's law April 22, 24 Notes #9	Required: Duranton and Puga, Urban Studies, 2000 Holmes and Lee, book chapter, 2010 Recommended: Gabaix, QJE, 1999 This is really hard. Try to get through section II.1	PS#9, due Apr. 29	solution
#10: Sorting, local publc finance, and a simple model of heterogenous agents Aspirational Notes #10	Required: Black, QJE, 1999 Eid et al., JUE, 2008 Recommended: Bayer, Ferreira and Mcmillan, JPE, 2007. Try to get through section IV. Seig, Ch. 8	PS#10, not collected.
#11: Traffic congestion and infrastructure Aspirational	Required: TBD Recommended: TBD
Take Home Final exam May 13, 2024, 5pm, CANVAS			Take home final 2024 Take home final 2023 FInal 2022