Building Cities: Markets and Government

This course introduces students to major concepts behind the public regulation of urban land use, often using New York City as a laboratory. The course examines how market forces and the public sector shape every aspect of urban development, through policies, plans, regulations, and investment. Topics include theories of location, natural advantage, capital availability, economies of scale and clustering, zoning, smart growth, building and environmental codes, and rent regulation. Students will learn how to analyze a community's land use structure and assess its strengths and weaknesses in order to develop public policies that improve public welfare. This course is cross-listed with PAF 3701. Credit will not be granted for both PAF 3701 and RES 3650. Students may take only one of these courses.