URBAN AND REGIONAL ECONOMICS

Single discipline educational activity

Course Sheet

Course code:

LM57010

Academic Year of enrolment:

2020

Year of supply:

2021/2022

Type of Course:

Related/Supplementary

Degree:

Course of 2nd Cycle Degree in MANAGEMENT, FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT

Disciplinary Sector:

Applied Economics

Location:

PESCARA

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

QUAGLIONE Davide

Cycle:

First semester

Hours of classroom activity:

Individual study hours:

Prerequisites:

Knowledge of the fundamental concepts of microeconomics and macroeconomics.

Objectives

EDUCATIONAL TARGETS
The objective of the course is to provide students with the theoretical and technical tools needed to analyze the determinants of the different regional development paths, urban and regional (in its broadest meaning). Localization and agglomeration processes will be analyzed under the various theoretical perspectives in the literature, together with the exogenous and the endogenous factors relevant for the regional competitiveness, with particular reference to innovation and proximity effects.

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course students will possess the information and cognitive tools for:
- the assessment of the regional development and competition levels
- the assessment of the impact of exogenous factors on regional development paths
- evaluate the effects of regional development policies

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course students will be able to:
- identify/develop connections between microeconomic views of the behaviour of economic agents, the macroeconomic characteristics, the competitive and the development features of the territories
- apply theoretical and applied knowledge to the identification of the main criticalities related to regional development, as well as to match them with the possible policy measures.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
The following communication skills will be acquired by students at the end of the course:
- properly use the economic terminology
- rigorously outline and discuss the mathematical relations underlying the models studied

Contents

The course aims to provide a wide critical preparation, both on the theoretical level and with reference to specific cases, on the different paths of territorial development: for what concerns both the urban dimension (first part of the course) and the regional latu sensu (second part of the course). In the first part. the teaching will cover those basic principles of urban economy that allow us to understand the birth and becoming of modern metropolis: why does the city (the principle of agglomeration) exist? Where are the activities in the city located (principle of accessibility)? What are the relationships established between the different activities (spatial interaction principle)? What relationships are created between the cities and the surrounding space (principle of hierarchy)? The second part of the course extends the analysis from the city to the regional and macro-territorial space, and then to the developmental imbalances within states. We will focus, in particular, on the different theories of regional growth: the approaches based on development phases or those that follow the center-periphery axis; the theses that focus on the role of demand and the market and, on the contrary, those that favor the supply side and therefore the endowment of factors; the models with increasing returns, formulated by the new economic geography or, alternatively, by the neo-classical approach.

Extended Syllabus

1. The agglomeration principle
2. The accessibility principle
3. The spatial interaction principle
4. The hierarchical principle
5. The competitiveness principle
6. Urban land rent
7. Urban dynamics: macroeconomic models
8. Urban dynamics: ecological-biological models
9. Dynamics and self-organization
10. Endogenous development
11. Innovation and proximity
12. Regional growth theories: uniform space
13. Regional growth theories: differentiated space

Recommended Bibliography

R. Camagni, Principi di economia urbana e territoriale, Carocci, Roma, 2011;

R. Capello, Economia regionale. Seconda edizione, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2015.

Teaching Methods

The course is structured in 72 hours of frontal teaching, divided into two hours lessons. The frontal teaching consists of theoretical lessons held by the professor, based on the reference texts. During the teaching, some tests of the students’ learning are carried out, to be held in the classroom and in a collective way, that propose questions aimed at verifying the understanding of the topics covered.Attendance is optional, recommended, and the final exam will be the same for attending and non-attending students.

Evaluation methods

Verification of learning:

Final examination:
Written

Modalities for learning verification: learning verification is based on a written examination, through 3 questions aimed at assessing students’ knowledge of the teaching material, independence and communication skills. Particular attention will be paid to the appropriateness of the language used, the ability to connect several topics and critically conduct a dialogue on the topics proposed by the teacher. The final grade is based on a 30-point scale.

Contacts/More Information

E-mail: d.quaglione@unich.it
Tutorship hours: Monday 11:00–13:00

If Health Laws and University regulations allow, teaching activities, teachers office hours’, and exams may take place online (in whole or in part). For any further information and updates, please refer to the University website.

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

Aree