121-006 Urban Economic Geography

Completion of 25 points of first-year geography and environmental studies, economics or urban planning.

This subject examines how cities work and provides the tools with which to identify the characteristics of cities. It seeks first to explain the functions performed by cities, how cities work as economic units and how they grow and decline. It seeks secondly to examine the way in which the functions of cities are located in different parts of the city, the key economic sectors in cities and the rules of their location. There is a brief introduction to local development strategies. The subject also introduces students to the information sources that are used in urban analysis, to the principal indicators of urban social and economic well-being and to the tools that are used to analyse cities.

Students are required to complete (and obtain a passing mark on) all practical work set in class; this is a hurdle requirement. Students will complete project and essay work equivalent to 2000 words and a 2-hour examination. The examination must be passed in order for the subject to be passed.

Much of the detailed reading for practical classes will be derived from fugitive (unpublished) material produced by local municipalities; other material will be drawn from the web.