Economics Department main page ECO2410 - Urban Economics
Spring 2025 Schedule
Professor Matthew Turner
Department of Economics
Brown University
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    The following schedule describes the material to be covered during the term. You should check this schedule at least weekly for updates and changes.

    Topic Reading Problems Solutions
    1. Introduction and some basic facts
    Jan 22.
    Required: Recommended: Reference:
    • Jacobs J., The death and life of great American cities. 1961. New York: Vintage. 1992.
    • Cronon W. Nature's metropolis: Chicago and the Great West. WW Norton & Company; 2009.
    • Glaeser E. Triumph of the City. Pan; 2011.
    2. Monocentric city
    Jan 27, 29.
    Required: Recommended: Examples of the Border Discontinuity research design:
    3. Bid-rent ilustrated: Moncentric city with mode choice choice
    Feb 3.
    Required: Recommended:
    • Urban Economic Theory, Ch 2. Fujita, 1989
    Supplemental:
    PS #1 due Feb 3. solution
    4. Agglomeration and urban form
    Feb 5, 10.
    Required: Recommended: Glaeser et al. NBER wp 2024, for rpt #1 Due Feb. 10.
    How to write a referee report
    5. Spatial Equilibrium and hedonic regressions
    Feb 19, 24, 26.
    Required: Recommended: PS #2 Due Feb 19
    Research Sketch #1. Due Feb 26.
    6. Cities with discrete space.
    Mar 3, 5, 10.
    Required: Recommended: Reference:
    • Discrete choice theory of product differentiation (1992). Anderson, S. P., De Palma, A., & Thisse, J. F. . MIT Press.
    • Discrete choice methods with simulation (2009).Train, Kenneth E. Cambridge University Press.
    Research Sketch #2. Due Mar 5.
    7. Agglomeration Economies
    Mar 12, 17, 19.
    Required: Recommended: Reference: Weiwu. 2024, for ref. rpt #2 Due Mar 12.
    Research Sketch #3 Due Mar 19.
    8. Systems of cities
    Mar 31, Apr 2, 7.
    Required: Recommended: Reference:
    9. Migration
    April 9, 14, 16.
    Required: Recommended: PS #3 due April 9.
    Almagro et al., unpublished, 2024. For ref. rpt #3 due April 16
    10. Economic Geography
    April 21, 23.
    Required: Recommended: Reference:
    11. Transportation
    Aspirational
    Required: Recommended: Final project due May 15