URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE
PLSC 479A, 479C, 592; URP 479, 592
Fall 2013
Strong 222
Mondays, 5:30-8:10 PM
Instructor: Dr. Arnold Fleischmann
Office: Pray-Harold 601A
Email: afleisch@emich.edu
Telephone: 734-487-3113
Office Hours: Tu, 10:00-noon,
and by appointment
Instructor: Dr. Heather Khan
Office: Strong Hall 225
Email: hkhan3@emich.edu
Telephone: 734-487-8021
Office Hours: M 2:00-4:00PM, Tu
8:00-10:00AM, and by appointment
Course Description
In a post-industrial economy, public administrators, planners, and policy analysts face a host of
challenges that lead to questions such as what urban economic development policies and strategies will
make the greatest positive impact in my city? How can other cities’ development initiatives better inform
urban public policy in my city? This course is intended to introduce students to the theories, contexts, and
strategies of urban economic development within a cross-national comparative framework.
Students from several EMU programs will be matched with students in a parallel class at the University
of Public Administration--Kehl (Germany). This seminar will compare local and regional efforts to
promote urban economic development in the United States and Germany.
The course will examine theories of urban growth and decline, approaches to comparative analysis, and
important data sources (e.g., U.S. Census) that inform urban economic development policy and practice.
Students from the two universities will write research papers grouped according to common strategies for
promoting urban economic development:
 Financial Incentives (tax breaks, loans, grants, etc.)
 Regulation/Deregulation
 Human Capital Investments (e.g., training programs)
 Infrastructure Investment (buildings, transportation systems, etc.)
Students from the two universities will present their research at a conference at EMU in February 2014.
Course Objectives
1. To familiarize students with the theories, contexts, and practices of urban economic development in
the United States and Germany.
2. To expose students to a broad range of urban economic development policies, programs, and projects.
3. To expose students to a comprehensive range of financing techniques for urban economic
development.
4. To help students become more familiar with the role of government and public-private partnerships in
facilitating urban economic development.
5. To acquaint students with the challenges and debates concerning urban economic development
policies, processes, and outcomes in the United States and Germany.
Course Requirements
The course will primarily be conducted as a combination of seminar, lecture, and independent group work
sessions. Each class session will be associated with a set of required readings. Students are expected to
complete these readings and come to class prepared to discuss them.
Grading. Course assignments will be weighted as follows:
 Midterm Exam
25%
 Research Paper
35%
 Group Activities and Class Discussion
20%
 Presentations
20%
Final grades will be based on the following scale:
A
AB+
B
BC+
94 or higher
90-93
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
C
CD+
D
DF
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
less than 60
Required Reading. The required texts are available at the EMU Bookstore in the Student Center and
elsewhere:
 Gallagher, John. 2013. Revolution Detroit: Strategies for Urban Reinvention. Detroit: Wayne
State University Press.
 Leigh, Nancy Green, and Edward J. Blakely. 2013. Planning Local Economic Development:
Theory and Practice, 5th ed. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
 Pagano, Michael, and Ann O’M. Bowman. 1997. Cityscapes and Capital: The Politics of Urban
Development. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press.
A number of journal articles, book chapters, and reports are also required. They are listed in the
appropriate week and, if marked with an asterisk, are available at EMU-Online. The instructors reserve
the right to make adjustments to the course content, directions, and readings as deemed necessary
depending on class needs, interests, and progress.
The syllabus also includes supplementary reading for several weeks. This is not required, but it provides
useful background on the week’s topics and a good resource for student research papers.
Research Paper. Treat your paper like a consultant’s analysis. Your paper should examine one type of
economic development strategy (e.g., tax increment financing, development of a light rail system). The
paper should include four elements:
 the legal and historical development of the program;
 the scope and diversity of the strategy’s use in the country;
 what research suggests about the program’s strengths and weaknesses;
 implementation of the program in a specific place (from a neighborhood to the country as a whole).
The paper should be roughly 15 double-spaced pages, plus figures, tables, and references. Format should
conform to author-date system in The Chicago Manual of Style. You should also consider presenting
your research next March at the Graduate Research Fair or Undergraduate Symposium.
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Group Activities and Class Discussion. Your discussion will be evaluated based on the quality of your
analysis and arguments, not the volume of words. You may be called on at any time, especially to discuss
assigned reading. Describing something accurately or repeating facts is "C" work. Higher grades are
awarded for careful analysis. "B" requires you to examine alternative explanations for something (e.g.,
voting patterns, different ways of organizing city government). “A” work also means critically analyzing
assumptions and implications, as well as suggesting alternative ways of thinking about a question.
There are occasions when the class will be broken into groups for short assignments. In such cases, you
will be evaluated both individually and as part of your group. You also could be asked to take the lead in
our discussion of assigned reading.
Presentations. The main presentations will be related to your research.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students. Graduate students will conduct class on October 7.
The task is to analyze Michigan’s population, economy, and development policies. The time frame is
2000-2013, which means analyzing the starting and end points, as well as explaining changes. This work
will count for half of each graduate student’s grade for activities/discussion.
Students will be assigned to one of the three analytical categories. The presentations will provide a
foundation for the research papers done during the term. They will also be the basis for a discussion of
Michigan’s future during class on October 7.
Graduate students will also be given a more challenging midterm examination. They are also expected to
perform at least at a “B” level in class discussion.
University Policies & Procedures
Students with Disabilities. Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should (1)
register with and provide documentation to the Disability Resource Center, and (2) bring DRC
certification to the instructor indicating the nature of accommodations required. This should be done
within the first week of class, or as soon as possible after a new disability condition arises. For more
information about services available at the DRC, please contact the office at 734-487-1849 or
http://www.emich.edu/drc/index.html.
Support Services. Undergraduates in particular might find it helpful to use the services of the University
Writing Center and Homan Success Center. The Office of International Students can assist students with
visas and similar matters.
Important Dates. Please note important EMU deadlines, which include the last day for a 100% refund
(9/13) and last day to withdraw from individual classes with a “W” grade (11/12). There are no classes
11/27-29, and EMU is closed 11/28-29. EMU also has a policy for absences on religious holidays.
Communication
Students are strongly encouraged to contact the instructors at afleisch@emich.edu or hkhan3@emich.edu,
or during office hours if they have any questions, comments, or concerns pertaining to readings,
assignments, classroom dynamics, or anything else related to the course.
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Schedule of Classes and Assignments
Sept. 9
Course Overview
The State of Urban America
 Leigh and Blakely: Chapter 1.
 Katz, Bruce, and Mark Muro. 2012. “Remaking Federalism, Renewing the Economy:
Resetting Federal Policy to Recharge the Economy, Stabilize the Budget, and Unleash
State and Metropolitan Innovation,” #5 in the series. Washington, DC: Brookings
Institution (November 12).*
Supplementary Reading:
 Katz, Bruce, and Jennifer Bradley. 2013. The Metropolitan Revolution: How Cities
and Metros Are Fixing Our Broken Politics and Fragile Economy. Washington, DC:
Brookings Institution Press.
 Ehrenhalt, Alan. 2012. The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City.
New York: Knopf. [He argues that several trends point to the rebirth of central cities.
Includes chapters on Atlanta, Cleveland, DC, Philadelphia, Houston, Phoenix, and
Denver.]
Sept. 16
The Political & Comparative Contexts of Urban Development
 Sager, Arun. 2013. “Federal Supremacy and the Occupied Field: A Comparative
Critique.” Publius: The Journal of Federalism 43:2 (Spring): 251-274.*
 Kantor, Paul and H.V. Savitch. 2005. “How to Study Comparative Urban
Development Politics: A Research Note.” International Journal of Urban and
Regional Research 29:1 (March): 135-151.*
 Leigh and Blakely: Chapter 2.
Supplementary Reading:
 Wolman, Harold, with David Spitzley. 1996. “The Politics of Local Economic
Development.” Economic Development Quarterly 10:2 (May): 115-150. [This is a
literature review essay in honor of EDQ’s tenth year.]
 Eisinger, Peter K. 1988. The Rise of the Entrepreneurial State: State and Local
Economic Development Policy in the United States. Madison: University of Wisconsin
Press. [A good history of the adoption and implementation of various policies.]
Sept. 23
Urban Data Sources
 class handout
 International City/County Management Association (ICMA). 2010. “Economic
Development 2009 Survey Summary.” Washington, DC ICMA.
http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/documents/kn/Document/107026/ICMA_
2009_Economic_Development_Survey_Summary
Viewing of Michael Moore’s “Roger and Me”
 Natter, Wolfgang, and John Paul Jones III. 1993. “Pets or Meat: Class, Ideology, and
Space in Roger & Me.” Antipode 25:2 (April): 140-158.*
 handout for in-class exercise
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Sept. 30
Why Cities Grow (or Don’t Grow)
 Leigh and Blakely: Chapter 3.
 Glaser, Edward L. 2009. “The Death and Life of Cities.” In Making Cities Work:
Prospects and Policies for Urban America, edited by Robert P. Inman, 22-62.
Princeton: Princeton University Press.*
 Lord, George F., and Alfred C. Price. 1992. “Growth Ideology in a Period of Decline:
Deindustrialization and Restructuring, Flint Style.” Social Problems 39:2 (May): 155169.*
Supplementary Reading:
 Thompson, Wilbur R. 1965. A Preface to Urban Economics. Baltimore: Johns
Hopkins University Press. [This is a classic in the field of urban economics.]
 Florida, Richard. 2005. Cities and the Creative Class. New York: Routledge. [This is
one of many works by Florida touting urban development based on amenities and
attracting people.]
October 7
The Status of Michigan, 2000-2013
 Leigh and Blakely: pp. 137-160. [The remainder of Chapter 6 is more technical and
would be covered in other courses.]
 graduate student presentations on the state’s population, economy, and development
policies
 distribution of slides, bibliographies, and web links
October 14
Approaches to Economic Development I
 Leigh and Blakely: Chapters 7-8.
 Bowman and Pagano: Chapters 1-3.
Supplementary Reading:
 Porter, Michael E. 2000. “Location, Competition, and Economic Development: Local
Clusters in a Global Economy.” Economic Development Quarterly 14:1 (February):
15-34. [This is one of the early pieces in the research suggesting that policy makers
promote clusters of connected businesses.]
 Rosentraub, Mark S. 2006. “The Local Context of a Sports Strategy for Economic
Development.” Economic Development Quarterly 20:3 (August): 278-291. [This is
one of many works on the controversies surrounding sports and stadiums as
development strategies. There are similar streams of research on tourism, convention
centers, the arts, and other strategies.]
October 21
Approaches to Economic Development II
 Leigh and Blakely: Chapters 9-10.
 Weber. Rachel. 2003. “Tax Incremental Financing in Theory and Practice”. In
Financing Economic Development in the 21st Century, edited by Sammis B.White,
Richard D. Bingham, and Edward W. Hill, 53-69. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, Inc. *
 Warner, Mildred E., and Lingwen Zheng. 2013. “Business Incentive Adoption in the
Recession.” Economic Development Quarterly 27:2 (May): 90-101.*
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Supplementary Reading:
 Markusen, Ann, Gregory Wassall, Doug DeNatale and Randy Cohen. "Defining the
Creative Economy: Industry and Occupational Approaches." Economic Development
Quarterly 22:1 (February): 24-45. [Alternative approaches compared to traditional
industrial recruitment.]
 Reese, Laura A., Twyla Blackmond Larnell, and Gary Sands. 2010. “Patterns of Tax
Abatement Policy: Lessons From the Outliers?” Economic Development Quarterly
40:3 (May): 261-283. [This study uses data for Michigan.]
October 28
Thinking Critically about Economic Development Strategies
 Peters, Alan, and Peter Fisher. 2004. “The Failures of Economic Development
Incentives.” Journal of the American Planning Association 70:1 (Winter): 27-37.*
 Bartik, Timothy J. 2005. “Solving the Problems of Economic Development
Incentives.” Growth and Change 36:2 (Spring): 139-166 [concentrate on 146-154].*
 Currid-Halkett, Elizabeth, and Kevin Stolarick. 2011. “The Great Divide: Economic
Development Theory Versus Practice – A Survey of the Current Landscape.”
Economic Development Quarterly 25:2 (May): 143-157.
Supplementary Reading:
 Sharp, Elaine B., and Kevin Mullinix. 2012. “Holding Their Feet to the Fire:
Explaining Variation in City Governments’ Use of Controls on Economic Development
Subsidies.” Economic Development Quarterly 26:2 (May): 138-150.
November 4
Midterm Exam Due
November 11 Detroit Past, Present, and Future (Does the city have a future?)
 Gallagher: all.
November 18 Wrapping Up
 Bowman and Pagano: Chapters 4-7.
November 25 Independent Group Work
December 2
Student Presentations
December 9
Student Presentations
December 16 Draft Research Papers Due
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