USP 517 Urban Economic Development Policy

This course analyzes urban economic development policy by building on an overall framework that demonstrates how urban economies create and distribute wealth and affect citizens' quality of life. Federal, state, and local policies must pursue three broad objectives: 1. raising the area's standard of living; 2. preserving and protecting environmental quality and quality-of-life; 3. reducing poverty and income inequality. This course provides students the ability to analyze and assess alternative policies through an understanding of the theoretical foundations of urban growth and decline; through the ability to apply analytical methods for assessing policy effectiveness; by examination of evidence of policy effectiveness; by reviewing case studies; and via a student's personal research of specific urban problems.