Aims

Cities, whose economic borders expand well beyond their administrative limits, play a central role in modern economies. Taking this as a starting point, the aim of this course is to introduce students to basic economic principles which make it possible to explain, on the one hand, how cities come to be and, on the other hand, how all the different elements which go to make up a city (housing, services, transport, jobs) are distributed within them. This will be achieved using analytical instruments taken from Microeconomics and Economic History. Given that jobs are primarily located within an urban environment, studying urban systems will make it possible to tackle regional questions. Students will be given a brief overview of European regional economies and lastly, be introduced to the most recent developments which bring with them new ways of structuring spaces, an approach known as peri-urbanisation.

Content and teaching methods

The majority of the course will be lecture-based. A range of external experts will also be brought in to discuss various issues of urban and regional development with students. The course necessitates regular, in-depth reading.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Course entry requirements: Students will have to have successfully assimilated the fundamental concepts of Microeconomics and be able to use them to study new issues. They should also have the flexibility to be able to switch easily between economic history and theories.
Course materials: The main reference work for the course will be a recent collective work "Villes et economies" (Cities and Economics), published under the supervision of the Cities' Institute. In addition, students will be expected to read a number of articles and chapters of books, a full list of which will be communicated.