Entry requirements

General entry requirements + Matematik 2a or Matematik 2b or Matematik 2c, Engelska 6 or the equivalent

Progression level in relation to degree requirements

The course does not belong to a main field of study. The course is mandatory for the bachelor's degree in Business Administration - Specialization in Transport Management.

Course contents

Urban economics introduces space and transport into economic models and studies the extent and localization patterns of economic activity and growth or decline of urban areas, in a global context, also addressing issues of environmental and social sustainability as well as equality and digitalization.

What economic factors influence the development of a city and how can they be analysed? What economic factors affect land use and the localization of housing and residential areas, industrial localization and logistics, and how does the price of land and transport affect desision making among different stakeholders? By which means could the development be influenced in a certain direction, e.g. by managing negative external effects of urban growth like pollution, congestion or crime, and who´s responsibility is this?

The students will acquire knowledge in basic economic theory and Urban Economics, relevant for urban development and transformation, and an understanding of different localization decisions and an ability to analyse geographical patterns resulting from this. Thereby the students should be able to analyse the driving forces behind the origin of cities, agglomeration economies and clustering, city development and growth and localization patterns in a regional economy, and the role of transport and the labour market and urban land rent. Also factors influencing urban housing, urban transportation, education, urban sprawl vs densification and the role of local government should be understood by the students. The students will also be acquainted with methods and tools for analyzing demographic data and transport demand patterns in order to propose and present planning measures for urban areas regarding constraction, infrastructure, commercial zones, logistics services etc., and argue for their proposals.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course the student should be able to :

1. explain and critically assess basic neoclassical economics theory and models, as well as assessing the fundamentals of Urban Economics.
2. explain and analyse the role of different economic factors and processes in urban development and growth as well as urban decline, relevant for planning like agglomeration economies, localization patterns and land use, housing and transport etc.
3. assess negative external effects of urban growth or decline, like pollution, congestion, segregation or crime, understand the role of different stakeholders, and suggest remedies.
4. propose, analyse and evaluate different planning measures and advocating policies for cases of developing cities and transformations of urban areas within cities, concerning housing, commercial or industrial land use et. c. using demographic data and transport demand patterns and applying central concepts of Urban Economics.
5. critically discuss the significance of economic factors for urban development, the roles of different stakeholders, environmental and social sustainability, as well as equality and digitalization.

Learning activities

Lectures, seminars and self-study.

Assessment

• Individual Examination, (5 hp) (UA) (learning outcome 1, 2, and 3)
• Project Work in group (2,5 hp) (UG) (learning outcomes 3, 4 and 5)

All learning outcomes are individually assessed.

In order to pass the course all examining parts need to be passed.

The final grade is based on the grade on the individual examination.

Course literature

• Browne M. et al., (latest edition) . Urban Logistics. KoganPage, London.
• Dixit, A. (2014). Microeconomics: A very short introduction. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• O’Sullivan. E. (ed 8 or later). Urban economics. McGraw Hill Higher Education, New York.

Additional materials are provided electronically.

Course evaluation

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

Interim rules

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.

Additional information

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format. The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.