Programme

Over the past three decades the importance of cities and regions has increased in parallel with the ‘globalisation’ of the world economy. The expansion of trade, the internationalization of firms, the galloping process of outsourcing, and the emergence of new Information and Communication Technologies are not creating a 'flat world'. Not all regions have the same capacity to maximize the benefits and opportunities and minimize the risks linked to globalization. Numerous forces are coalescing in order to provoke the emergence of urban 'mountains' where wealth, economic activity, and innovative capacity agglomerate. This course aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of key conceptual tools for the economic analysis of cities and regions in developed and developing countries as well as for the evaluation of the corresponding development policies. The course involves lectures, interactive sessions and computer-lab practical sessions.

Regional Economics
- Introduction to economic theories of regional growth and development;
- The neo-classical approach to regional growth and the regional convergence debate;
- Endogenous regional development;
- The New Economic Geography;
- Institutions, Innovation and regional performance

Regional Policies
- Key tools in regional development policies
- The Cohesion policy of the European Union: rationale, tools, implementation and impacts

Empirical tools for the analysis of regional economics and policy (practical applications)
- Data and measurement
- Regression models for the analysis of regional convergence and of integrated approach perspectives
- The effects of regional policies
- Introduction to policy evaluation approaches

Core Documentation

- Capello R. Regional Economics, Routledge 2nd Edition, 2016
- European Commission (2017) Seventh report on economic, social and territorial cohesion

Type of evaluation

The course assessment will be based on an oral exam. Students attending the class regularly will have the possibility to substitute the final exam with three mid-term assignments (1. Questions set; 2. Presentation; 3. One-page final essay) on selected parts of the program.