The purpose of this book is to provide a key text on urban economics in a global context. The book is driven by the themes of urban economics - urban growth, housing, property investment and development, etc. - and the different approaches to these themes taken in different regions of the world are introduced and exemplified in boxes within each chapter.

This book is a guide to claims about the proper role of government and markets in a global economy. Moving between systematic comparison of 19 rich democracies and debate about what the United States can do to restore a more civilized, egalitarian, and fair society, Harold L. Wilensky tells us how six of these countries got on a low road to economic progress and which components of their labor-crunch strategy are uniquely American. He provides an overview of the impact of major dimensions of globalization, only one of which - the interaction of the internationalization of finance and the rapid increase in the autonomy of central banks - undermines either national sovereignty or job security, labor standards, and the welfare state. Although Wilensky views American policy and politics through the lens of globalization, he concludes that the nation-state remains the center of personal identity, social solidarity, and political action. He concentrates on what national differences mean for the well-being of nations and their people. Drawing on lessons from abroad and from America's own past successes, Wilensky shows how we can reverse our three-decade decline. He argues that, in order to get off the low road, we must overcome the myths of "moderation," the rise of the "independent voter," and a rightward shift of the electorate. He specifies a feasible domestic agenda that matches majority sentiments in all rich democracies.

In this innovative book, David Smith ultimately links what happens on the ground in the neighbourhoods where people live to the larger political and economic forces at work, putting these connections in a historical framework and using a case study approach. The societies of the world's underdeveloped countries are now undergoing an urban revolutio

Urban Economy: Real Estate Economics and Public Policy analyses urban economic change and public policy in a more practical way than a typical urban economics book. The book has a distinctive framework that considers the underlying reasons, and the consequences of urban change for real estate investors and policy makers. Part 1 covers the basics of urban economics and real estate markets, including housing and commercial. Part 2 looks at the reformulation of urban systems and the reasons why. It then considers the consequences for real estate markets and investment of decentralisation forces and emerging technology. The issues that arise for urban public policy are then discussed, notably transport policies, public finance and sustainability, before a chapter examining housing neighbourhood and housing market dynamics and a shift from spatial change to regeneration. Part 3 reverses the dominant perspective of Part 2 to assess the effectiveness of how property led policies can positively influence a local economy and urban regeneration. The chapters consider several important policy questions and constraints and draw on a number of case studies that illustrate the benefits and drawbacks. The book includes chapter objectives, self-assessment questions, chapter summaries, learning outcomes, case studies, global data and statistics and is a new textbook for core courses in urban economics and real estate economics on global Real Estate, Planning and related degree courses.

Neoclassical economics, the intellectual bedrock of modern capitalism, faces growing criticisms, as many of its key assumptions and policy prescriptions are systematically challenged. Yet, there remains one field of economics where these limitations continue virtually unchallenged: the study of cities and regions in built-environment economics. In this book, Franklin Obeng-Odoom draws on institutional, Georgist and Marxist economics to clearly but comprehensively show what the key issues are today in thinking about urban economics. In doing so, he demonstrates the widespread tensions and contradictions in the status quo, showing how to reconstruct urban economics in order to create a more just society and environment.

This book focuses on the relationship between the state and economy in the development of cities. It reviews and reinterprets fundamental theoretical models that explain how the operation of markets in equilibrium shapes the scale and organization of the commercial city in a mixed market economy within a liberal state. These models link markets for the factors of production, markets for investment and fixed capital formation, markets for transportation, and markets for exports in equilibrium both within the urban economy and the rest of the world. In each case, the model explains the urban economy by revealing how assumptions about causes and structures lead to predictions about scale and organization outcomes. By simplifying and contrasting these models, this book proposes another interpretation: that governance and the urban economy are outcomes negotiated by political actors motivated by competing notions of commonwealth and the individual desire for wealth and power. The book grounds its analysis in economic history, explaining the rise of commercial cities and the emergence of the urban economy. It then turns to factors of production, export, and factor markets, introducing and parsing the Mills model, breaking it down into its component parts and creating a series of simpler models that can better explain the significance of each economic assumption. Simplified models are also presented for real estate and fixed capital investment markets, transportation, and land use planning. The book concludes with a discussion of linear programming and the Herbert- Stevens and the Ripper-Varaiya models. A fresh presentation of the theories behind urban economics, this book emphasizes the links between state and economy and challenges the reader to see its theories in a new light. As such, this book will be of interest to scholars, students, and practitioners of economics, public policy, public administration, urban policy, and city and urban planning. >

The global economy has transformed during the last few decades. Though the changes have benefited some, many mature industrial economies (MIEs) have not been treated well by the changes they have seen and have been forced to adapt to dramatically changed circumstances. In this collection of original papers, economists and geographers from Asia, North America and Europe examine the policy initiatives that have succeeded in their countries. The analyses address issues such as local, state and federal governance, aging populations, inter-city cooperation and loss of dominant firms. Additionally, the authors discuss policy issues such as industrial tourism, the roles of education, knowledge and culture, and repositioning a regions place in the global economy. The volume also includes an empirical estimation of the competitiveness of major cities. The contributors to this book hold that it is possible for the overwhelming majority of MIEs to shape their policy in such a way that many of the objectives that will yield the most prosperity will fall within their reach. In that spirit, this book offers the elements for generating economic strategies for mature industrial economies. Suggesting frontier polices to help cities chart a course for future developmental success, this stimulating work is ideally suited to economists, policymakers, city planners, students and scholars of business, economics, urban studies and public policy, and all those concerned with creating equity for the cities of tomorrow.

In March 1999, New York University Salomon Center in assocIatIOn with the Department of Finance at NYU Stern held a one-day conference on the impact of real estate cycles on the real estate industry both from a domestic as well as an international perspective. The conference featured the leading research on this topic in the United States, Europe and Asia. Currendy, the real estate industry is at a critical point. New development projects around the world are being put on hold given recent developments in the international capital markets. The industry is hard hit by the decline in real estate investment trust (REIT) share prices and a shrink ing pool of capital for real estate ventures. This has unfortunately coincided with serious financial problems of very large hedge funds and other institutional investors in the market for commercial mortgage backed securities. There is need for new insights into the implications of U. S. and global real estate cycles on real estate secu rities including REITs and mortgage-backed securities as well as direct real estate investment. This global orientation is important given the high mobility of capital into the real estate, the increasing integration of real estate markets, and the proposed expan sion of real estate investment trusts (REIT) into international real estate. The process of globalization has resulted in increased competition between cities for the attrac tion of investment.

The importance of the built environment to environmental protection is well established, with strict environmental regulations now a feature of the working lives of planners, contractors, building designers, and quantity surveyors alike. Those new to, or preparing to join this industry must have an understanding of how their environmental responsibilities relate to their professional responsibilities in economic terms. Designed as an introductory textbook, Urban and Environmental Economics: An Introduction provides the background information from these disciplines to understand crucial tools and economic techniques. A broad range of theories of the natural and built environments and economics are explained, helping the reader develop a real understanding of the topics that influence this subject, such as: the history of economic thought on the built environment the economics of shared space in the built environment cost-benefit analysis and discounting macro-economic tools, measures, and policy sustainable development resource valuation. Illustrated throughout, and with lists of further reading in every chapter, this book is ideal for students at all levels who need to get to grips with the economics of the environment within a built environment context. Particularly useful to those studying planning, land economy, environmental management, or housing development.

A Companion to Urban Economics provides a state-of-the-artoverview of this field, communicating its intellectual richnessthrough a diverse portfolio of authors and topics. Unique in both its rigor and international treatment An ideal supplementary textbook in upper-level undergraduateurban economics courses, or in master's level and professionalcourses, providing students with the necessary foundation to tacklemore advanced topics in urban economics Contains contributions from the world’s leading urbaneconomists