EC 330 Spring 2013
University of Oregon
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ECONOMICS 330
URBAN ECONOMICS
Lecture: TuTh 4:00 – 5:20pm, 207 Chapman [CRN 32730]
Course website: http://blackboard.uoregon.edu
As its name suggests, urban economics explores the applications of economic models to the
fundamental questions and challenges related to the growth and development of cities. Why do
cities exist in the first place? Why do they attract the industries they do? What determines how
large they grow? How are they organized? How has technology shaped their development?
We will also look at universal issues like transportation, education, and crime in the context of
urban environments and see the relationships between these factors and urbanization itself.
Instructor and Office Hours
Prof. Mike Urbancic
Office hours:
urbancic@uoregon.edu
4:00 – 5:00pm M & W; 10:00 – 11:00am Tu & Th: all held in 414 PLC
(Other times by appointment—just send me an email and ask.)
Prerequisites
You must have taken EC 201 prior to taking this course. Economic concepts are often presented
in mathematical models. This course presumes proficiency in basic math skills, including algebra
and analytic geometry (i.e., graphs). Calculus is not required.
Required Course Textbook
The course will follow the 8th edition of Urban Economics by Arthur O’Sullivan. Note that you may
also purchase and use the 7th or older editions, which are substantially cheaper. You are welcome to
obtain the course textbook at the Duck Store or any other vendor. A copy of the 8th edition is on
reserve at the Knight Library.
Lecture
Lectures for this course are 4:00 to 5:20pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays. You are not required to attend
lectures, but you are expected to attend, and it is certainly in your interest to do so. When you do
attend class please show courtesy to your fellow classmates by arriving on time and being as
unobtrusive as possible if you need to leave early.
Laptop and Cell Phone Policies
The use of laptops is not allowed in lecture unless required to accommodate a documented
disability. Smart phones and other small electronic devices are welcome so long as they do not
distract other students. Please silence any such devices during lectures.
i>clicker2 Classroom Response System
We will be using the i>clicker2 classroom response system during lectures. The i>clicker2 is the
successor of the i>clicker, which some of you may have already seen or used. Whether or not you
own an i>clicker remote, you are required to purchase an i>clicker2 remote, which are available at
the Duck Store. Be sure to ask specifically for an i>clicker2 rather than the simply an i>clicker to
avoid any confusion.
EC 330 Spring 2013
University of Oregon
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Participating in class with the i>clicker2 remote will earn you extra credit in the course, as described
in the next section. It is not acceptable for you to send your i>clicker remote with another student
to obtain this credit in your absence. This constitutes academic fraud. If a student is caught
using more than one remote in class the codes for all of the remotes involved will be
recorded, and all of the extra credit points for the entire term will be forfeited.
Grading
Letter of Introduction
Problem Sets (3)
i>clicker2 participation
First Midterm (Tuesday, Apr 23rd)
Second Midterm (Tuesday, May 14th)
Final Exam (Tuesday, Jun 11th at 8:00am)
1%
21%
up to 8.5%
20% or 24%
20% or 24%
34%
(2 points)
(42 points)
(up to 17 extra credit points)
(40 or 48 points)
(40 or 48 points)
(68 points)
For each student (individually) the higher of the two midterm scores will be weighted as 24% and
the lower as 20% of the overall course grade.
Each lecture in which a student responds to at least 50% of the i>clicker2 questions is worth one
extra credit point. This can be used to replace points lost on problem sets but not points lost on
exams. Once the problem set score is maxed out (at 42 points) there is no further influence on the
course score. For example, if a student earns 33 points on the problem sets and 15 i>clicker extra
credit points, the problem set score will be raised to 42 and the remaining 6 i>clicker points will
have no further effect on the course grade.
The traditional grade scale (90-100% → A, 80-89% → B, et cetera, modified by + and - where
applicable) will be used as a baseline when determining course grades. A curve favorable to
students may be applied depending on the overall performance of the class.
Students taking the course Pass/Not Pass are expected to do all of the course work and must take
the final exam. P/NP students need to earn a C- or above for their overall grade to pass the course.
A grade of “Incomplete” will only be given if the student’s work to date is at least a B-.
Problem Sets
There will be three problem sets, each worth 14 points. They will be collected in lecture on the
dates listed on the schedule below.
All problem sets must be turned in to me in person; for security and privacy reasons they cannot be
passively dropped off at any location in the department. The solutions to each problem set will be
posted on the course Blackboard site within an hour after the lecture in which it is due, and
absolutely no problem sets will be accepted for credit after that time.
You are encouraged to work on problem sets with other students, but all answers written on your
problem set must be in your own words. Simply copying someone else’s work is cheating. If such
duplication is detected all problem sets involved will receive a zero, regardless of who did the
work and who did the copying. Keep in mind that our enrollment is small and that all of the
problem sets will be graded by the same GTF. Jeopardizing 7% of your course grade—and
someone else’s as well—is not worth it. Don’t copy a problem set or allow your problem set to be
copied!
EC 330 Spring 2013
University of Oregon
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Exams
There will be two in-class midterms and a final exam. The final exam will be comprehensive, but it
will be more heavily weighted toward material presented in the last third of the course.
No makeup exams will be given for any reason. Let me know as soon as possible if you cannot
make it to one of the midterms and you have a documented, University-sanctioned excuse. If
a serious illness or emergency prevents you from being present at an exam contact me before or
during the exam at urbancic@uoregon.edu. Be prepared to provide documentation later. If you
have an excused absence from one of the midterms you may earn the privilege of having your other
midterm and the final exam reweighted when calculating your course percentage by completing the
missed exam as a take-home test and scoring at least 90%.
An unexcused absence on either midterm will result in scoring a zero on that exam, with
devastating effects on your course grade. An unexcused absence on the final exam will result in a
failing grade for the course.
If you know that you will not be able to take one of the exams you should seriously
reconsider taking this course in this term. Note that it will be offered again in the Summer term.
Re-grade Requests
If you notice an arithmetic mistake in totaling the number of points on a problem set or midterm,
simply point this out to me as soon as possible, and the correction will be made.
For any other reconsideration of a grade on either of the midterms, you must submit a formal regrade request explaining why you believe your answer(s) should be given more points. This request
must be made in writing and given to me no later than one week after the midterm in question is
returned. Note that the entire exam will be subject to re-grading, so overall you may gain or lose
points if you request a re-grade.
There will never be a re-grade for any problem set or for the final exam.
Academic Honesty
In order to ensure that each student is evaluated fairly, I will be very strict in the enforcement of the
Student Conduct Code, which is published in the Schedule of Classes each term. Suspected
violations of the Student Conduct Code will be referred to the Student Judicial Affairs Office.
Special Accommodations
If you require special accommodations of any kind due to a documented disability, you will need to
provide a letter from the Accessible Education Center (164 Oregon Hall) verifying your need and
detailing the appropriate accommodations.
Blackboard and Email
I will use Blackboard to send announcements to the course. Make sure that the email address you
have registered with the University is correct. Also, be sure to check that email account regularly so
that you receive course-related information quickly and reliably.
To avoid confusion, please include “EC 330” in the subject line of any emails to me. I will attempt
to reply as quickly as possible. Longer, more involved questions are better suited for office hours.
Also, you will find that many potential questions will be answered in the course announcements, so
read through them carefully.
EC 330 Spring 2013
University of Oregon
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Tentative schedule of lecture topics, EXAMS, readings, and due dates
Tuesday lectures [207 Chapman]
Apr 2 – Lecture 1: Introduction
Chapter 1
Apr 9 – Lecture 3: Why Do Cities Exist?
Chapters 2
Apr 16 – Lecture 5: Why Do Firms Cluster?
Chapter 3
Thursday lectures [207 Chapman]
Apr 4 – Lecture 2: The Five Axioms of Urban Economics
Chapter 1
Apr 11 – Lecture 4: Why Do Cities Exist?
Chapter 2
Apr 18 – Lecture 6: Why Do Firms Cluster?
Chapter 3
Problem Set 1 due
Apr 23 – FIRST MIDTERM
Covers materials from lectures 1 - 6 (inclusive).
Apr 30 – Lecture 8: Urban Growth
Chapter 5
May 7 – Lecture 10: Neighborhood Choice
Chapter 8
Apr 25 – Lecture 7: City Size
Chapter 4
May 2 – Lecture 9: Urban Growth
Chapter 5
May 9 – Lecture 11: Neighborhood Choice
Chapter 8
Problem Set 2 due
May 14 – SECOND MIDTERM
Covers materials from lectures 7 - 11 (inclusive).
May 21 – Lecture 13: Urban Transit
Chapter 11
May 28– Lecture 15: Education
May 16 – Lecture 12: Autos and Highways
Chapter 10
May 23 – Lecture 14: Education
Chapter 12
May 30 – CLASS CANCELLED
Chapter 12
Jun 4 – Lecture 16: Crime
Chapter 13
Jun 6 – Lecture 17: Crime
Chapter 13
Problem Set 3 due
The comprehensive FINAL EXAM will be held from 1:00 until 3:00pm on Wednesday, June 12th in 207 Chapman.