This module is concerned with the nature of urban economies. Taught at an introductory level, it examines why and how urban economies take particular forms across the world. The module is divided into two main parts, covering the crucial aspects of economic geography and planning for cities. The first half of the module examines the influence of various global, national and regional factors that impact upon urban economies, such as the rise of globalisation, social inequalities and environmental issues. The second half reframes economic aspects of urban life from an alternative point of view, offering an introduction to alternative economies, global south urbanism, informality and illegality. An overall important aspect of the module is to examine impact of planning and policy on urban economies. These areas are generally concerned with fostering economic prosperity and societal equalities, often by modifying people’s behaviour to alleviate undesirable effects of wealth-generating activities. Understanding the nature of these urban economies is therefore of crucial importance for all planning and policy making activity, both in cities of the Global North and South. The module uses lectures to introduce key analytical ideas, concepts and readings, and seminars to enable students to understand and explore these ideas in more detail.

1. Identify and describe why urban areas exist;
2. Understand and explain the role of external economies in urban areas;
3. Understand and critically analyse contemporary urban economic issues;
4. Understand and explain what alternative economies are in the contemporary urban;
5. Appreciate the major differences between cities of the Global North and South;
6. Comprehend what urban informality is and how it works; and
7. Understand the role of the third sector in the economies of cities

The module content will be delivered through lectures and a comprehensive set of lecture handouts. These will be supported by tutorials where the students can engage with the course content in an interactive way. Students are given questions and analytical problems for discussion in the tutorials in order to allow them to apply the course content.

Students will have an opportunity to develop and be expected to demonstrate the following skills through contributions to debates and written assessments and exams:

Academic skills:

·         analyse urban economies and isolate relevant factors and causal relations;

·         appreciate the difference between the main approaches to the study of urban economies;

·         an appreciation of aims, values and interests that characterise urban economic planning and policy-making;

·         appraise the stance taken by policy-makers and society toward key urban economic issues;

·         describe urban economic issues and develop appropriate solutions;

·         compare and contrast the experiences of cities across the globe;

·         understand the main tenets of urban economies in cities of the global south;

·         appreciate the nuanced and variegated nature of informal and illicit urban economies.

Subject-specific skills:

• apply urban analysis to policy issues;
• present explanations of economic issues;
• reflect in tying urban analysis to policy and planning problems;
• access relevant web-based economic information;
• being able to critically approach mainstream knowledge on urban economies.

Employability skills:

·         Develop reasoned arguments, both orally and in written form, and demonstrate the ability to critically assess and evaluate evidence and claims;

·         provide reasoned judgment on choices of policy actions;

·         develop solutions to real world problems;

communicate ideas clearly and succinctly.

Students are assessed on their ability to describe, define, understand and critically evaluate key theories and issues in relation to urban economies. The summative assessment will involve one written essay assessment and one exam.  Each assessment takes place at the end of the semester, permitting summative feedback to occur.  Students are required to achieve an average pass mark of 40% across the two assignments.

Formative Assessment

Students will be provided with opportunities for formative feedback tasks throughout the module.

This includes receiving feedback during the tutorials every teaching week, receiving peer feedback, and further formative assessment with the summative tasks in the form of detailed comments and feedforward.

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REASSESSMENT IN THIS MODULE:

Re-assessment

Students are permitted to be reassessed in a module which they have failed, in line with University regulations. https://intranet.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/teaching-and-supporting-students/teaching-support/academic-regulations. You will only be reassessed on the components of the module in which you have failed. The format of the reassessment will be the same as the original assessment and will take place in the Summer re-sit period.

Type of assessment

Autumn Semester: Essay -  50% -   2,000 words

Learning outcomes - 1,2,3,4,5

Spring Semester Exam -  50% - 1.5 hrs

Learning Outcomes 3,5,6,7

Syllabus content typically includes

1. The city and the economy
2. External economies and agglomeration
3. Spaces of urban growth, command and control
4. Globalisation and the city
5. Economic governance of urban areas
6. Alternative economic spaces and theory
7. Socio-economical inequalities in cities
8. Urban economies in cities of the Global South
9. The role of finance in the contemporary city
10. Informal and illicit economies

• Mackinnon, D. And Cumbers, A. (2011) Introduction to Economic Geography. Harlow: Pearson Education
• O’Sullivan, A. (2012) Urban Economics. New York City: McGraw-Hill
• Hall, T. (2012) Urban Geography. London: Routledge.
• Pike, A., Rodriguez-Pose, A. and Tomaney, J. (2006) Local and Regional Development. London: Routledge.

• Amin, A., Massey, D. & Thrift, N., (2000) Cities for the many not the few, Bristol: Policy Press.
• Brooks, N. and Kieran Donaghy, K. (2012) The Oxford Handbook of Urban Economics and Planning. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Cheshire, P. Nathan, M. and Overman, H. (2014) Urban Economics and Urban Policy: Challenging Conventional Policy Wisdom. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
• Davis, M., (2006) Planet of Slums, New york: Verso.
• Gibson-Graham, J.K., Cameron, J. & Healy, S., (2013) Take back the economy. An ethical guide for transforming our communities., Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
• Glaeser, E. (2012) Triumph of the City. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

• Hague, C., Hague, E. and Breitbach, C. (2011) Regional and Local Economic Development. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

• Hartwick, J. (2015) Urban Economics. London: Routledge.
• Hutton, T. and Paddison, R. (2015) Cities and economic change. London: Sage.
• Jones and Evans (2013) Urban Regeneration in the UK. London: Routledge.
• McCann, P. (2013) Modern Urban and Regional Economics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Jowsey, E. and Harvey, J. (2013) Urban Land Economics. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Leyshon, A. et al (2011) The Sage Handbook of Economic Geography.
• Robinson, J., (2006) Ordinary cities, London: Routledge.

Key online sources

• Lecture handouts on Learning Central
• Office of National Statistics: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/index.html
• UN-Habitat: http://unhabitat.org/
• Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (statistics and country reports): http://www.oecd.org