PP4A4E      Half Unit
Cities and the Economy: Urban Economic Development and Finance

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Availability

Cities and the Economy forms part of the Executive MSc in Cities. This is an applied course looking at the role of city government and firms in driving inclusive local economic development. The course introduces traditional and more progressive ways to measure and analyse the city economy as well as policies and tools available to attract investment and finance as well as improve the distributional effects of economic growth.

From a global economic level, we will look at the forces shaping urban development and the capacity of national, regional and local policies to influence these drivers. From a more local economic level, we will look at the make-up and sectorial composition of a city economy; how we can measure the economic impact of policies and projects and finally how we can finance and fund complex infrastructure projects.

Topics include: inclusive growth; economic inequalities; measuring growth and competitiveness over time, comparative vs competitive advantage, key performance indicators of a city economy, the role of infrastructure and megaprojects in driving competitiveness, managing city budgets, financing your city, global city indexes, special economic zones and other incentives.

5 hours of lecture (online)s in the Autumn Term.
10 hours of lecture (online)s, 10 hours of seminar (hybrid)s and 2 hours of workshop (hybrid)s in the Winter Term.

The course will be taught via a combination of asynchronous sessions and live sessions, the latter of which can be attended in-person or remotely. A minimum of 10 hours of asynchronous learning materials sessions will be provided ahead of live teaching, which will consist of videos, readings and interactive activities. Approximately 10 hours of live teaching will be provided, consisting of lecture-based discussions, seminars and workshops. These live sessions will build upon the outcomes of the asynchronous sessions. Live teaching will take place over three one-week periods (Modules 2, 3 & 4).

Abstract (500 words)

500 word submission describing the financing strategy of a project of your choice.

• Lee, Neil, 2018 Inclusive Growth in Cities: A sympathetic critique, LSE III Working Papers
• O'Sullivan, Arthur. 2012. Urban economics. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
• Peterson, George E., and Patricia Clarke Annez. 2007. Financing cities fiscal responsibility and urban infrastructure in Brazil, China, India, Poland and South Africa.
• Pike, A, Rodríguez-Pose, A & Tomaney, J. 2012. Local and Regional Development, Routledge.
• Raworth, Kate. 2017 Doughnut Economics. 2018. Random House
• World Bank, 2009. World Development Report. Reshaping Economic Geography, World Bank.

Additional readings:

• Brookings Institute. 2010 Municipal Finance of Urban Infrastructure.
• The Cities Alliance et al. 2007. Understanding Your Local Economy – A Resource Guide for Cities. The Cities Alliance.
• UN-HABITAT 2009. Guide to Municipal Finance. UN-HABITAT.
• Vliet W. v. 2002. Cities in a globalizing world: from engines of growth to agents of change. Environment and Urbanization.
• Zhang L.-Y. 2013. City Development Strategies and the Transition Towards a Green Urban Economy. The Economy of Green Cities: A World Compendium on the Green Urban Economy. Springer.

Debate / role play (30%)

Essay (70%, 2000 words)

Pitch a financing strategy for a selected case study area to an expert panel (30%). Students will be expected to produce 1 essay in the WT a submission of a 2,000 word written report analysing the financing strategy of a project of your choice (70%).