Prof Christian Hilber and Prof Gabriel Ahlfeldt

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Real Estate Economics and Finance. This course is available on the MPhil/PhD in Economic Geography and MSc in Geographic Data Science. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

The number of students that can be accommodated is limited. If the course is over-subscribed, places will be allocated at the Department’s discretion and a waiting list may be created. For further details, please contact your relevant Programme Coordinator.

The course assumes that students already have knowledge of economics equivalent to a good first degree in the subject. It is available as an option to students who can show that they are suitably qualified.

This course aims to provide students with a theoretical and empirical understanding of urban economic processes and price determination in land and real property markets within an institutional context. Examples of topics covered include: the functioning of cities and the urban system; the determinants of urban structure; patterns of urban land use; the determinants of urban growth - theory and evidence; land and real property markets; the impact of land market regulation including the economic impact of land use planning; local public finance and house price capitalisation; real estate cycles; homeownership; commercial real estate.

In the Department of Geography and Environment, teaching will be delivered through a combination of classes/seminars, pre-recorded lectures, live online lectures, in-person lectures and other supplementary interactive live activities.

This course is delivered through a combination of seminars and lectures across the Michaelmas and Lent Term 

This course includes a reading week in Week 6 of Michaelmas Term and in week 6 of Lent Term.

Students can submit up to two essays of up to 1500 words (one per teacher/teaching term). Essay topics are exam questions from the previous year. Submission is voluntary. Upon request, teachers are happy to provide feedback on seminar presentations.

Detailed reading list will be given out at the beginning of the course. Much of the reading will be journal articles. However, some important items are: J. Brueckner, Lectures on Urban Economics, 2011; P.C. Cheshire, M. Nathan & H. Overman, Urban Economics and Urban Policy: Challenging Conventional Policy Wisdom, 2014; D. DiPasquale & W. Wheaton, Urban Economics and Real Estate Markets, 1996; G. Duranton, V. Henderson & W. Strange, Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, Vol. V, North Holland, 2015; M. Fujita, Urban Economic Theory: Land Use and City Size, 1989; E.L. Glaeser, Triumph of the City, 2011; Henderson, J.V. and J.F. Thisse, Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics Vol. IV, North Holland, 2004; J.F. McDonald & D.P. McMillen, Urban Economics and Real Estate, Theory and Policy, 2011; B. O’Flaherty, City Economics, 2005; A. O'Sullivan, Urban Economics (9th edn.), 2018.

Exam (100%, duration: 3 hours) in the summer exam period.

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.