Università Roma Tre

Over the past three decades the importance of cities and regions has increased in parallel with the ‘globalisation’ of the world economy. The expansion of trade, the internationalization of firms, the galloping process of outsourcing, and the emergence of new Information and Communication Technologies are not creating a 'flat world'. Not all cities and regions have the same capacity to maximize the benefits and opportunities and minimize the risks linked to globalization. Numerous forces are coalescing in order to provoke the emergence of urban 'mountains' where wealth, economic activity, and innovative capacity agglomerate. This course aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of key conceptual tools for the economic analysis of cities and regions in developed and developing countries as well as for the evaluation of the corresponding development policies. The course is organised around three – closely interrelated - themes: ‘The Economics of Cities, ‘The Economics of Regions’ and ‘Governance and Policy of Cities and Regions’. The course involves lectures, interactive student-led sessions and computer-lab practical sessions.
Section 1: The Economics of Cities
- Key concepts in Urban Economics: a) agglomeration economies; b) accessibility; c)spatial interaction; d) urban hierarchy; d) competitiveness and urban growth
- Pre-conditions and determinants of urban rent;
- Labour Markets, firm location and the geographical concentration of economic activities.

Section 2: The Economics of Regions
- Introduction to economic theories of regional growth and development;
- The neo-classical approach to regional growth and the regional convergence debate;
- Endogenous regional development;
- The New Economic Geography;
- Institutions, Innovation and regional performance.

Section 3: Governance and Policy of Cities and Regions
- The foundations of regional and urban development policies and their evaluation;
- Key tools in regional development policies;
- The Cohesion policy of the European Union: rationale, tools, implementation and impacts;

- Capello R. Regional Economics, Routledge 2nd Edition, 2016
- Krugman P. Geography and Trade, MIT Press, 1992 (selected pages).
- European Commission (2017) Seventh report on economic, social and territorial cohesion

Different readings will be made available to students attending lectures on a regular basis via mail or a dedicated Dropbox folder.