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2022/2023

Regional Economics

Code: 102466 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2501573 Economics OT 3 2
2501573 Economics OT 4 2

Contact

Name:
David Castells Quintana
Email:
david.castells.quintana@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
spanish (spa)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
Yes

Other comments on languages

Importante para seguir varias de las lecturas recomendadas

Prerequisites

Students taking this course are required to have previously taken courses of basic microeconomics and econometrics

Objectives and Contextualisation

The subject of Regional Economics has as an objective teaching the economic approach to analyze the spatial distribution of economic activity and spatail phenomena in general. For this, we use the tools both from the theoretical as well as empirical point of view developed the last years in this field. 
Therefore the aims of the subject can be summarized as follows:

1. The students should know and be able to use the main theoretical developments in the field
2. The students should know and be able to use the main tools for the empirical analysis in the field
3. The students should able to pose relevant questions and develop a critical analysis in relation to the most important problems that affect spatial development both in developed and developing countries

Competences

    Economics
  • Capacity for adapting to changing environments.
  • Capacity for independent learning in the future, gaining more profound knowledge of previous areas or learning new topics.
  • Demonstrate initiative and work individually when the situation requires it.
  • Identify the processes that govern the operation of markets in different competition systems, different scenarios of interrelationship and different timescales.
  • Lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, implementing new projects and coordinating, negotiating and managing conflicts.
  • Organise the work in terms of good time management, organisation and planning.
  • Select and generate the information necessary for each problem, analyse it and take decisions based on that information.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Take decisions in situations of uncertainty, demonstrating an entrepreneurial and innovative attitude.

Learning Outcomes

  1. A capacity of oral and written communication in Catalan, Spanish and English, which allows them to summarise and present the work conducted both orally and in writing.
  2. Analyse regional labour markets.
  3. Apply the most relevant theories on the location of economic and human activity in the territory.
  4. Assess urban growth and the formation of city systems.
  5. Capacity to adapt to changing environments.
  6. Capacity to continue future learning independently, acquiring further knowledge and exploring new areas of knowledge.
  7. Demonstrate initiative and work independently when required.
  8. Interpret sustainability in urban and territorial contexts.
  9. Lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, implement new projects, coordinate, negotiate and manage conflicts.
  10. Make decisions in situations of uncertainty and show an enterprising and innovative spirit.
  11. Master and apply the main tools of urban and territorial planning.
  12. Organise work, in terms of good time management and organisation and planning.
  13. Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  14. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  15. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  16. Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  17. Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.

Content

1. Location of economic activity and population

- Historical perspective

- Agglomeration and congestion

- Geography and development

- Regions and cities today

2. Industrial location: the decision to locate the company

- Location and transport costs

- Location and market areas: monopoly and spatial competition

- Location and economies of agglomeration

- Factors of location and behavior of companies: multinational companies

 3. Labor mobility

- Global patterns of internal and international migration

- The model of disequilibrium and balance of interregional migration

- Selection and migration: the Roy-Borjas model

- The migration of the qualified

- Effects of migration

4. Modeling of the distribution of activity and population

- Rosen–Roback model

- Models of New Economic Geography

- Quantitative spatial models

- Fragmentation of production

5. Determinants of regional and urban development

- Human capital

- Entrepreneurship

-  Innovation

- Institutions

6. Urbanization in developing countries

- Development and urbanization: Urbanization with growth and without growth

- The system of cities and territorial development

- Determinants of urban form in developing countries

Methodology

Teaching of the course will be offered on campus.

The theoretical sessions consist of the development of the different contents of the subject. The students can use the main textbooks as well as additional material and supplementary bibliography for each topic.

The practical classes consist of the development of the required empirical methods to understand the empirical evidence enabling the students to interpret results. Data sets are delivered to the students to use the different methodologies explained in the classes.

Some practical classes will be devoted at the discussion of policy issues taking a relevant text as a departing point. These discussions have to allow the students use the knowledge acquired in the theoretical lectures

The proposed teaching methodology may undergo some modifications according to the restrictions imposed by the health authorities on on-campus courses

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Practical classes 17 0.68 1, 6, 7
Theoretical classes 32.5 1.3 2, 3, 4, 11, 8
Type: Supervised      
Follow up of reports 6.5 0.26 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 11, 8, 10
Tutorials 6 0.24 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 11, 8, 10
Type: Autonomous      
Individual study 88 3.52 2, 3, 4, 11, 8

Assessment

The evaluation will take place according to the following weightings of the activities:

1. Final exam 40%

2. Midterm exam 30%

3. Problem sets 30%

 

All students are required to perform the evaluation activities. The two exams (midterm and final) require a minimum score of 3.5 each. The marks of the other activities to complete the final evaluation do not require a mínimum threshold.

The subject is approved with a final mark of 5. In the case of a final mark less than 3.5, the student will have to take to the subject in the following year.

Students who have obtained a final mark that is equal to or greater than 3.5 and less than 5 are eligible for a retake exam. The lecturers will decide the type of the retake exam. When the mark of the retake exam is greater than 5, the final mark will be PASS with a maximum numerical score of 5. When the mark of the retake exam is less than 5, the final mark will be a FAIL with a numerical score equal to the mark previously achieved (not the mark of the retake exam).

A student who does not perform any evaluative task is considered "not evaluable", therefore, a student who performs a continuous assessment component can no longer be qualified with a "not evaluable

 

Calendar of evaluation activities

The dates of the evaluation activities (midterm exams, exercises in the classroom, assignments, ...) will be announced well in advance during the semester.

The date of the final exam is scheduled in the assessment calendar of the Faculty.

"The dates of evaluation activities cannot be modified, unless there is an exceptional and duly justified reason why an evaluation activity cannot be carried out. In this case, the degree coordinator will contact both the teaching staff and the affected student, and a new date will be scheduled within the same academic period to make up for the missed evaluation activity." Section 1 of Article 115. Calendar of evaluation activities (Academic Regulations UAB). Students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, who in accordance with the previous paragraph need to change an evaluation activity date must process the request by filling out an Application for exams' reschedule https://eformularis.uab.cat/group/deganat_feie/application-for-exams-reschedule

Grade revision process

After all grading activities have ended, students will be informed of the date and way in which the course grades will be published. Students will be also be informed of the procedure, place, date and time of grade revision following University regulations.

Retake Process

"To be eligible to participate in the retake process, it is required for students to have been previously been evaluated for at least two thirds of the total evaluation activities of the subject." Section 3 of Article 112 ter. The recovery (UAB Academic Regulations). Additionally, it is required that the student to have achieved an average grade of the subject between 3.5 and 4.9.

The date of the retake exam will be posted in the calendar of evaluation activities of the Faculty. Students who take this exam and pass, will get a grade of 5 for the subject. If the student does not pass the retake, the grade will remain unchanged, and hence, student will fail the course.

Irregularities in evaluation activities

In spite of other disciplinary measures deemed appropriate, and in accordance with current academic regulations, "in the case that the student makes any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an evaluation activity, it will be graded with a 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that can be instructed. In case of various irregularities occur in the evaluation of the same subject, the final grade of this subject will be 0". Section 10 of Article 116. Results of the evaluation. (UAB Academic Regulations).

 The proposed evaluation activities may undergo some changes according to the restrictions imposed by the health authorities on on-campus courses.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Final exam 40% 0 0 2, 3, 4, 1, 6, 11, 8, 17, 16, 15, 13, 14
Midterm exam 30% 0 0 2, 3, 4, 1, 6, 11, 8
Problem sets and class work 30% 0 0 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 6, 11, 7, 8, 9, 12, 10

Bibliography

Main textbooks:

P.-Ph. Combes et al (2008) Economic geography. The integration of regions and nations. Princeton University Press

M. Fujita y J.F. Thisse (2013) Economics of agglomeration. Cities, Industrial Location and Globalization. Cambridge University Press.

Philip McCann (2013) Modern Urban and Regional Economics. Oxford University Press

Sean Fox y Tom Goodfellow (2016) Cities and Development. Routledge

Edward Glaeser and Abha Joshi-Ghani (2015) The urban imperative. Oxford University Press

Additional reading lists and material by topic will be available at campus virtual

Software

The software meinly used is: GRETL, Stata, Word and Excel