research topics in urban economics

• Search Menu
• Browse content in Arts and Humanities
• Browse content in Archaeology
• Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Archaeology
• Archaeological Methodology and Techniques
• Archaeology by Region
• Archaeology of Religion
• Archaeology of Trade and Exchange
• Biblical Archaeology
• Contemporary and Public Archaeology
• Environmental Archaeology
• Historical Archaeology
• History and Theory of Archaeology
• Industrial Archaeology
• Landscape Archaeology
• Mortuary Archaeology
• Prehistoric Archaeology
• Underwater Archaeology
• Urban Archaeology
• Zooarchaeology
• Browse content in Architecture
• Architectural Structure and Design
• History of Architecture
• Residential and Domestic Buildings
• Theory of Architecture
• Browse content in Art
• Art Subjects and Themes
• History of Art
• Industrial and Commercial Art
• Theory of Art
• Biographical Studies
• Byzantine Studies
• Browse content in Classical Studies
• Classical Literature
• Classical Reception
• Classical History
• Classical Philosophy
• Classical Mythology
• Classical Art and Architecture
• Classical Oratory and Rhetoric
• Greek and Roman Archaeology
• Greek and Roman Epigraphy
• Greek and Roman Law
• Greek and Roman Papyrology
• Late Antiquity
• Religion in the Ancient World
• Digital Humanities
• Browse content in History
• Colonialism and Imperialism
• Diplomatic History
• Environmental History
• Genealogy, Heraldry, Names, and Honours
• Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
• Historical Geography
• History by Period
• History of Agriculture
• History of Education
• History of Emotions
• History of Gender and Sexuality
• Industrial History
• Intellectual History
• International History
• Labour History
• Legal and Constitutional History
• Local and Family History
• Maritime History
• Military History
• National Liberation and Post-Colonialism
• Oral History
• Political History
• Public History
• Regional and National History
• Revolutions and Rebellions
• Slavery and Abolition of Slavery
• Social and Cultural History
• Theory, Methods, and Historiography
• Urban History
• World History
• Browse content in Language Teaching and Learning
• Language Learning (Specific Skills)
• Language Teaching Theory and Methods
• Browse content in Linguistics
• Applied Linguistics
• Cognitive Linguistics
• Computational Linguistics
• Forensic Linguistics
• Grammar, Syntax and Morphology
• Historical and Diachronic Linguistics
• History of English
• Language Variation
• Language Families
• Language Acquisition
• Language Evolution
• Language Reference
• Lexicography
• Linguistic Theories
• Linguistic Typology
• Linguistic Anthropology
• Phonetics and Phonology
• Psycholinguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Translation and Interpretation
• Writing Systems
• Browse content in Literature
• Bibliography
• Children's Literature Studies
• Literary Studies (Modernism)
• Literary Studies (Asian)
• Literary Studies (European)
• Literary Studies (Eco-criticism)
• Literary Studies (Romanticism)
• Literary Studies (American)
• Literary Studies - World
• Literary Studies (1500 to 1800)
• Literary Studies (19th Century)
• Literary Studies (20th Century onwards)
• Literary Studies (African American Literature)
• Literary Studies (British and Irish)
• Literary Studies (Early and Medieval)
• Literary Studies (Fiction, Novelists, and Prose Writers)
• Literary Studies (Gender Studies)
• Literary Studies (Graphic Novels)
• Literary Studies (History of the Book)
• Literary Studies (Plays and Playwrights)
• Literary Studies (Poetry and Poets)
• Literary Studies (Postcolonial Literature)
• Literary Studies (Queer Studies)
• Literary Studies (Science Fiction)
• Literary Studies (Travel Literature)
• Literary Studies (War Literature)
• Literary Studies (Women's Writing)
• Literary Theory and Cultural Studies
• Mythology and Folklore
• Shakespeare Studies and Criticism
• Browse content in Media Studies
• Browse content in Music
• Applied Music
• Dance and Music
• Ethics in Music
• Ethnomusicology
• Gender and Sexuality in Music
• Medicine and Music
• Music Cultures
• Music and Culture
• Music and Religion
• Music and Media
• Music Education and Pedagogy
• Music Theory and Analysis
• Musical Scores, Lyrics, and Libretti
• Musical Structures, Styles, and Techniques
• Musicology and Music History
• Performance Practice and Studies
• Race and Ethnicity in Music
• Sound Studies
• Browse content in Performing Arts
• Browse content in Philosophy
• Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
• Epistemology
• Feminist Philosophy
• History of Western Philosophy
• Metaphysics
• Moral Philosophy
• Non-Western Philosophy
• Philosophy of Action
• Philosophy of Law
• Philosophy of Religion
• Philosophy of Science
• Philosophy of Language
• Philosophy of Mind
• Philosophy of Perception
• Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic
• Practical Ethics
• Social and Political Philosophy
• Browse content in Religion
• Biblical Studies
• Christianity
• East Asian Religions
• History of Religion
• Judaism and Jewish Studies
• Qumran Studies
• Religion and Education
• Religion and Health
• Religion and Politics
• Religion and Science
• Religion and Law
• Religion and Art, Literature, and Music
• Religious Studies
• Browse content in Society and Culture
• Cookery, Food, and Drink
• Cultural Studies
• Customs and Traditions
• Ethical Issues and Debates
• Hobbies, Games, Arts and Crafts
• Lifestyle, Home, and Garden
• Natural world, Country Life, and Pets
• Popular Beliefs and Controversial Knowledge
• Sports and Outdoor Recreation
• Technology and Society
• Travel and Holiday
• Visual Culture
• Browse content in Law
• Arbitration
• Browse content in Company and Commercial Law
• Commercial Law
• Company Law
• Browse content in Comparative Law
• Systems of Law
• Competition Law
• Browse content in Constitutional and Administrative Law
• Government Powers
• Judicial Review
• Local Government Law
• Military and Defence Law
• Parliamentary and Legislative Practice
• Construction Law
• Contract Law
• Browse content in Criminal Law
• Criminal Procedure
• Criminal Evidence Law
• Sentencing and Punishment
• Employment and Labour Law
• Environment and Energy Law
• Browse content in Financial Law
• Banking Law
• Insolvency Law
• History of Law
• Human Rights and Immigration
• Intellectual Property Law
• Browse content in International Law
• Private International Law and Conflict of Laws
• Public International Law
• IT and Communications Law
• Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law
• Law and Society
• Law and Politics
• Browse content in Legal System and Practice
• Courts and Procedure
• Legal Skills and Practice
• Primary Sources of Law
• Regulation of Legal Profession
• Medical and Healthcare Law
• Browse content in Policing
• Criminal Investigation and Detection
• Police and Security Services
• Police Procedure and Law
• Police Regional Planning
• Browse content in Property Law
• Personal Property Law
• Study and Revision
• Terrorism and National Security Law
• Browse content in Trusts Law
• Wills and Probate or Succession
• Browse content in Medicine and Health
• Browse content in Allied Health Professions
• Arts Therapies
• Clinical Science
• Dietetics and Nutrition
• Occupational Therapy
• Operating Department Practice
• Physiotherapy
• Radiography
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Browse content in Anaesthetics
• General Anaesthesia
• Neuroanaesthesia
• Browse content in Clinical Medicine
• Acute Medicine
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Clinical Genetics
• Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Dermatology
• Endocrinology and Diabetes
• Gastroenterology
• Genito-urinary Medicine
• Geriatric Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Oncology
• Medical Toxicology
• Pain Medicine
• Palliative Medicine
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine and Pulmonology
• Rheumatology
• Sleep Medicine
• Sports and Exercise Medicine
• Clinical Neuroscience
• Community Medical Services
• Critical Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Forensic Medicine
• Haematology
• History of Medicine
• Medical Ethics
• Browse content in Medical Dentistry
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Paediatric Dentistry
• Restorative Dentistry and Orthodontics
• Surgical Dentistry
• Browse content in Medical Skills
• Clinical Skills
• Communication Skills
• Nursing Skills
• Surgical Skills
• Medical Statistics and Methodology
• Browse content in Neurology
• Clinical Neurophysiology
• Neuropathology
• Nursing Studies
• Browse content in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Gynaecology
• Occupational Medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Otolaryngology (ENT)
• Browse content in Paediatrics
• Neonatology
• Browse content in Pathology
• Chemical Pathology
• Clinical Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics
• Histopathology
• Medical Microbiology and Virology
• Patient Education and Information
• Browse content in Pharmacology
• Psychopharmacology
• Browse content in Popular Health
• Caring for Others
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Self-help and Personal Development
• Browse content in Preclinical Medicine
• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology and Genetics
• Reproduction, Growth and Development
• Primary Care
• Professional Development in Medicine
• Browse content in Psychiatry
• Addiction Medicine
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Forensic Psychiatry
• Learning Disabilities
• Old Age Psychiatry
• Psychotherapy
• Browse content in Public Health and Epidemiology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Browse content in Radiology
• Clinical Radiology
• Interventional Radiology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiation Oncology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Browse content in Surgery
• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Gastro-intestinal and Colorectal Surgery
• General Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Paediatric Surgery
• Peri-operative Care
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Transplant Surgery
• Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
• Vascular Surgery
• Browse content in Science and Mathematics
• Browse content in Biological Sciences
• Aquatic Biology
• Biochemistry
• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Ecology and Conservation
• Evolutionary Biology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Microbiology
• Molecular and Cell Biology
• Natural History
• Plant Sciences and Forestry
• Research Methods in Life Sciences
• Structural Biology
• Systems Biology
• Zoology and Animal Sciences
• Browse content in Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Computational Chemistry
• Crystallography
• Environmental Chemistry
• Industrial Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Materials Chemistry
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Mineralogy and Gems
• Organic Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Polymer Chemistry
• Study and Communication Skills in Chemistry
• Theoretical Chemistry
• Browse content in Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Architecture and Logic Design
• Game Studies
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Mathematical Theory of Computation
• Programming Languages
• Software Engineering
• Systems Analysis and Design
• Virtual Reality
• Browse content in Computing
• Business Applications
• Computer Games
• Computer Security
• Computer Networking and Communications
• Digital Lifestyle
• Graphical and Digital Media Applications
• Operating Systems
• Browse content in Earth Sciences and Geography
• Atmospheric Sciences
• Environmental Geography
• Geology and the Lithosphere
• Maps and Map-making
• Meteorology and Climatology
• Oceanography and Hydrology
• Palaeontology
• Physical Geography and Topography
• Regional Geography
• Soil Science
• Urban Geography
• Browse content in Engineering and Technology
• Agriculture and Farming
• Biological Engineering
• Civil Engineering, Surveying, and Building
• Electronics and Communications Engineering
• Energy Technology
• Engineering (General)
• Environmental Science, Engineering, and Technology
• History of Engineering and Technology
• Mechanical Engineering and Materials
• Technology of Industrial Chemistry
• Transport Technology and Trades
• Browse content in Environmental Science
• Applied Ecology (Environmental Science)
• Conservation of the Environment (Environmental Science)
• Environmental Sustainability
• Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Environmental Science)
• Management of Land and Natural Resources (Environmental Science)
• Natural Disasters (Environmental Science)
• Nuclear Issues (Environmental Science)
• Pollution and Threats to the Environment (Environmental Science)
• Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Environmental Science)
• History of Science and Technology
• Browse content in Materials Science
• Ceramics and Glasses
• Composite Materials
• Metals, Alloying, and Corrosion
• Nanotechnology
• Browse content in Mathematics
• Applied Mathematics
• Biomathematics and Statistics
• History of Mathematics
• Mathematical Education
• Mathematical Finance
• Mathematical Analysis
• Numerical and Computational Mathematics
• Probability and Statistics
• Pure Mathematics
• Browse content in Neuroscience
• Cognition and Behavioural Neuroscience
• Development of the Nervous System
• Disorders of the Nervous System
• History of Neuroscience
• Invertebrate Neurobiology
• Molecular and Cellular Systems
• Neuroendocrinology and Autonomic Nervous System
• Neuroscientific Techniques
• Sensory and Motor Systems
• Browse content in Physics
• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
• Biological and Medical Physics
• Classical Mechanics
• Computational Physics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Electromagnetism, Optics, and Acoustics
• History of Physics
• Mathematical and Statistical Physics
• Measurement Science
• Nuclear Physics
• Particles and Fields
• Plasma Physics
• Quantum Physics
• Relativity and Gravitation
• Semiconductor and Mesoscopic Physics
• Browse content in Psychology
• Affective Sciences
• Clinical Psychology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Criminal and Forensic Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Evolutionary Psychology
• Health Psychology
• History and Systems in Psychology
• Music Psychology
• Neuropsychology
• Organizational Psychology
• Psychological Assessment and Testing
• Psychology of Human-Technology Interaction
• Psychology Professional Development and Training
• Research Methods in Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Browse content in Social Sciences
• Browse content in Anthropology
• Anthropology of Religion
• Human Evolution
• Medical Anthropology
• Physical Anthropology
• Regional Anthropology
• Social and Cultural Anthropology
• Theory and Practice of Anthropology
• Browse content in Business and Management
• Business History
• Business Strategy
• Business Ethics
• Business and Government
• Business and Technology
• Business and the Environment
• Comparative Management
• Corporate Governance
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Entrepreneurship
• Health Management
• Human Resource Management
• Industrial and Employment Relations
• Industry Studies
• Information and Communication Technologies
• International Business
• Knowledge Management
• Management and Management Techniques
• Operations Management
• Organizational Theory and Behaviour
• Pensions and Pension Management
• Public and Nonprofit Management
• Strategic Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Browse content in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Criminal Justice
• Criminology
• Forms of Crime
• International and Comparative Criminology
• Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice
• Development Studies
• Browse content in Economics
• Agricultural, Environmental, and Natural Resource Economics
• Asian Economics
• Behavioural Finance
• Behavioural Economics and Neuroeconomics
• Econometrics and Mathematical Economics
• Economic Methodology
• Economic Systems
• Economic History
• Economic Development and Growth
• Financial Markets
• Financial Institutions and Services
• General Economics and Teaching
• Health, Education, and Welfare
• History of Economic Thought
• International Economics
• Labour and Demographic Economics
• Law and Economics
• Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics
• Microeconomics
• Public Economics
• Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
• Welfare Economics
• Browse content in Education
• Adult Education and Continuous Learning
• Care and Counselling of Students
• Early Childhood and Elementary Education
• Educational Equipment and Technology
• Educational Strategies and Policy
• Higher and Further Education
• Organization and Management of Education
• Philosophy and Theory of Education
• Schools Studies
• Secondary Education
• Teaching of a Specific Subject
• Teaching of Specific Groups and Special Educational Needs
• Teaching Skills and Techniques
• Browse content in Environment
• Applied Ecology (Social Science)
• Climate Change
• Conservation of the Environment (Social Science)
• Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Social Science)
• Natural Disasters (Environment)
• Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Social Science)
• Browse content in Human Geography
• Cultural Geography
• Economic Geography
• Political Geography
• Browse content in Interdisciplinary Studies
• Communication Studies
• Museums, Libraries, and Information Sciences
• Browse content in Politics
• African Politics
• Asian Politics
• Chinese Politics
• Comparative Politics
• Conflict Politics
• Elections and Electoral Studies
• Environmental Politics
• European Union
• Foreign Policy
• Gender and Politics
• Human Rights and Politics
• Indian Politics
• International Relations
• International Organization (Politics)
• International Political Economy
• Irish Politics
• Latin American Politics
• Middle Eastern Politics
• Political Theory
• Political Methodology
• Political Communication
• Political Philosophy
• Political Sociology
• Political Behaviour
• Political Economy
• Political Institutions
• Politics and Law
• Public Administration
• Public Policy
• Quantitative Political Methodology
• Regional Political Studies
• Russian Politics
• Security Studies
• State and Local Government
• UK Politics
• US Politics
• Browse content in Regional and Area Studies
• African Studies
• Asian Studies
• East Asian Studies
• Japanese Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Native American Studies
• Scottish Studies
• Browse content in Research and Information
• Research Methods
• Browse content in Social Work
• Addictions and Substance Misuse
• Adoption and Fostering
• Care of the Elderly
• Child and Adolescent Social Work
• Couple and Family Social Work
• Developmental and Physical Disabilities Social Work
• Direct Practice and Clinical Social Work
• Emergency Services
• Human Behaviour and the Social Environment
• International and Global Issues in Social Work
• Mental and Behavioural Health
• Social Justice and Human Rights
• Social Policy and Advocacy
• Social Work and Crime and Justice
• Social Work Macro Practice
• Social Work Practice Settings
• Social Work Research and Evidence-based Practice
• Welfare and Benefit Systems
• Browse content in Sociology
• Childhood Studies
• Community Development
• Comparative and Historical Sociology
• Economic Sociology
• Gender and Sexuality
• Gerontology and Ageing
• Health, Illness, and Medicine
• Marriage and the Family
• Migration Studies
• Occupations, Professions, and Work
• Organizations
• Population and Demography
• Race and Ethnicity
• Social Theory
• Social Movements and Social Change
• Social Research and Statistics
• Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
• Sociology of Religion
• Sociology of Education
• Sport and Leisure
• Urban and Rural Studies
• Browse content in Warfare and Defence
• Defence Strategy, Planning, and Research
• Land Forces and Warfare
• Military Administration
• Military Life and Institutions
• Naval Forces and Warfare
• Other Warfare and Defence Issues
• Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
• Weapons and Equipment

The Oxford Handbook of Urban Economics and Planning

Nancy Brooks is Visiting Associate Professor at Cornell University in the Department of City and Regional Planning, and has also been on the economics department faculty at the University of Vermont. She earned her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995. Her research interests are in applied urban and environmental economics. She has published in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management and the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization.

Kieran Donaghy is Professor and Chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University. He holds a Ph.D. in regional science from Cornell University. He has studied issues in transportation, land use, housing, labor markets, and the environment. Much of his recent research concerns the impacts of globalization and climate change on regions and how resource-rich regions can avoid the "resource curse."

Gerrit-Jan Knaap is Professor of Urban Studies and Planning and Director of the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education at the University of Maryland. Knaap's research interests include the economics and politics of land use planning, the efficacy of economic development instruments, and the impacts of environmental policy. He serves on the State of Maryland's Smart Growth Subcabinet and Sustainable Growth Commission and the Science and Technical Advisory Committee to the Chesapeake Bay Commission. Knaap earned his B.S. from Willamette University, his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Oregon, and received post-doctoral training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, all in economics.

• Cite Icon Cite
• Permissions Icon Permissions

The Oxford Handbook of Urban Economics and Planning embodies a problem-driven and theoretically informed approach to bridging frontier research in urban economics and urban/regional planning. The articles focus on the interface between these two subdisciplines that have historically had an uneasy relationship. Although economists were among the early contributors to the literature on urban planning, many economists have been dismissive of a discipline whose leading scholars frequently favor regulations over market institutions, equity over efficiency, and normative prescriptions over positive analysis. Planners, meanwhile, even as they draw upon economic principles, often view the work of economists as abstract, not sensitive to institutional contexts, and communicated in a formal language spoken by few with decision making authority. Not surprisingly, papers in the leading economic journals rarely cite clearly pertinent papers in planning journals, and vice versa. Despite the historical divergence in perspectives and methods, urban economics and urban planning share an intense interest in many topic areas: the nature of cities, the prosperity of urban economies, the efficient provision of urban services, efficient systems of transportation, and the proper allocation of land between urban and environmental uses. In bridging this gap, the book highlights the best scholarship in planning and economics that address the most pressing urban problems of our day and stimulates further dialog between scholars in urban planning and urban economics.

Signed in as

Institutional accounts.

• GoogleCrawler [DO NOT DELETE]
• Google Scholar Indexing

Personal account

• Sign in with email/username & password
• Get email alerts
• Save searches
• Purchase content
• Activate your purchase/trial code
• Add your ORCID iD

Institutional access

Sign in with a library card.

• Sign in with username/password
• Recommend to your librarian
• Institutional account management
• Get help with access

Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:

IP based access

Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.

Sign in through your institution

Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.

• Click Sign in through your institution.
• Select your institution from the list provided, which will take you to your institution's website to sign in.
• When on the institution site, please use the credentials provided by your institution. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
• Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.

If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.

Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.

Society Members

Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:

Sign in through society site

Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:

• Click Sign in through society site.
• When on the society site, please use the credentials provided by that society. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.

If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.

Sign in using a personal account

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.

A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.

Viewing your signed in accounts

Click the account icon in the top right to:

• View your signed in personal account and access account management features.
• View the institutional accounts that are providing access.

Signed in but can't access content

Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.

For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.

Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.

• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Rights and permissions
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

Research Projects

Working Papers

Publications

 Current research Projects

Immigration, Social Outcomes, and Housing Markets

Housing Policy

Economics of Zoning

Amenities and Housing Prices

The Economics of Urban Form

Rasha Ahmed

Econ 431-37: Topics in Urban Economics

Class time: T/Th  9:25 am -10:40 pm

Email: [email protected]

Class Room:

Office Phone: 860-297-2446

Office Hours:  MWF  *** or by appointment

Course Description and objectives

Urban economics is the study of the location choices of firms and consumers and how these choices affect different urban phenomenon. The course will explore four urban topics:

1. Cities around the world: The rise of cities in developed and developing countries and the challenges currently faced by each.

2. Technology: Technological advances in production, transportation and communication and how they shape urban landscapes in terms of size and function.

3. Segregation:  The economic analysis of racial segregation and the impact it had on the functioning of markets, e.g. housing and labor markets, and opportunities for reform.

4. Education: The impact of space on education opportunities and achievement.  An analysis of the education gap at the local and international level and strategies for reform.

A prior background in urban economics is not required although interest in the subject matter is.  I will start each topic with a brief overview of the economic approach to the particular urban issue.  Students research each topic through reading the required articles, choosing a question of interest to research,  prepare a presentation to the class. By the end of each topic I will give you a writing assignment that tests your ability to synthesize the material covered in a meaningful way.

The Grade for class will be calculated as follows:

Writing assignments                  60%

Participation/ in class writing     20%

Presentations                            20%

1. I expect you to attend every class and to be there on time and not to leave till the end.  I understand that this is your last semester and that many of you will be interviewing for jobs.  I expect you to schedule your job interviews so you do not miss class.

2. I expect you to be engaged in the class at all times.

3. I expect you to check your email regularly.

4. If you accumulate more than two absences, 1 % will be deducted from your final grade for every class missed.

5. Papers submitted within a week after the due date will get graded and discounted by 30%.  There are no makeups for missed presentations.

6. There are no “extra credit” assignments. Your grade will be determined as outlined in the grading section above.

7. Dishonest conduct or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Please refer to the Student Handbook for a review of requirements.

Finally, students are encouraged to speak with me directly should any concerns or difficulties arise. I am happy to work with students who need extra help. Please feel free to drop by during office hours, send an email or speak with me following class time.

Glaeser, Edward (2011). “Triumph of the City” the Penguin Press.

Glaeser, Edward and David Cutler (2021). “ Survival of the City: Living and Thriving in an Age of Isolation, ” the Penguin Press.

Arnott, Richard and Dan McMillen.2006. A Companion to Urban Economics. Blackwell Publishers

Bluestone, Barry, Mary Huff Stevenson, and Russell Williams. 2008. The urban experience: economics, society, and public policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press

DeSoto, Hernando. 2000. The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else. Basic Books.

Inman, Robert. 2009. Making Cities Work: Prospects and Policies for Urban America. Princeton University Press

O’Sullivan, Arthur. 2008. Urban Economics. McGraw-Hill/Irwin 7e

Course Outline

The following is an outline of the topics that will be covered each week. The outline and dates may be changed during the semester.

Week 1, 2, 3, 4 (Feb 9 – March 9): Overview of Urban Economics     Urbanization and growth of cities , cities in developed and developing countries ,

Overview: The benefits and costs of cities, Urbanization and development, The modern city, Urban policies

First Writing Assignment Due

Book Chapters:

• O’Sullivan, chapters 2-5
• Bluestone, chapters  1 , 2
• Inman, chapters 1 and 2
• De Soto chapters 2-4
• Glaeser chapters 0, 1, 2, 3, 4
•   America’s Ten Dead Cities: From Detroit to New Orleans . 24/7 Wall Street, August 2010
• See: The Industrial Revolution Overview
• See: The BBC documentary on the industrial revolution
• Assessing Urban Development After the Arab Spring: Illusions and Evidence of Change , Built Environment, Vol 40 (1)
•   UNFPA State of World Population 2007 : Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth
• Hamer, Andrew and Johannes Linn (1987). “ Urbanization in the developing World: Patterns Issues and Policies ,” available in Edwin S. Mills Handbook of Urban and Regional Economics, Vol 2, 1255-1284
• United Nations Population Report 2019
• Chetty, Raj, Nathaniel Hendren, Patrick Kline and Emmanuel Saez(2014). “ Where is the Land of Opportunity? The Geography of Intergenerational Mobility in the United States ,”  NBER working paper
• World Bank (2009). Reshaping Economic Geography.  Report
• World Bank (2009). Reshaping Economic Geography. Documentary
• Marx, Benjamin, Thomas Stoker and Tavneet Suri (2013).  “ The Economics of Slums in the Developing World ,” Journal of Economic Perspectives 27(4): 187- 210

Week 5, 6, 7 : Technology (March 11- March 30)

Technology of Production, Communication and Transportation

Inman, chapter 3

Bluestone, chapter 10

Glaeser, chapter 7

Reading Articles:

• Glaeser, Edward (1998). Are Cities Dying? Journal of Economic Perspectives 12(2):139- 160
• Gasper, Jess and Edward Glaeser (1998). “ Information Technology and the Future of Cities ,” Urban Economics, 43(1): 136-156
• Goldin, Claudia and Lawrence (1988). “ The Origins of Technology – skill complementarity ,” Quarterly Journal of Economics
• Piketty, Thomas and Emmanuel Saez. 2003. “Income Inequality in the United States, 1913-1998.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 118(1): 1-39.
• Autor, David H. 2014. “Skills, education, and the rise of earnings inequality among the ‘other 99 percent.’” Science 344(6186): 843-85.
• Goldin, Claudia and Lawrence Katz. 2010. The Race Between Education and Technology Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.
• Leamer E.E., Storper M. (2014) “ The Economic Geography of the Internet Age ,” In: Cantwell J. (eds) Location of International Business Activities. Palgrave Macmillan, London
• Bell, Alex, Raj Chetty, Xavier Jaravel, Neviana Petkova, and John Van Reenen. 2019. “Who Becomes an Inventor in America? The Importance of Exposure to Innovation.” Quarterly Journal of Economics
• Ahmed, Rasha, Mark Stater and Michael S. Visser (2017). “ Market and Welfare Effects of Big Box Retail Entry in a Linear City Model with Oligopolistic Competition ,”  Annals of Economics and Statistics , 127.
• Ahmed, Rasha and Mark Stater (2017). “ Is energy efficiency under provided? An analysis of the provision of energy efficiency in multi-attribute products ,” Resource and Energy Economics, 49: 132-149
• Glaeser, Edward L. and Matthew E. Kahn (2004). “ Sprawl and Urban Growth ,” Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, 4: 2481-2527
• Glaeser, Edward L., Matthew E. Kahn and Jordan Rappaport. (2008). “ Why do the poor live in cities? The role of public transportation .” Journal of Urban Economics 63(1): 1-24
• Helfand, Gloria, and Ann Wolverton. “ Evaluating the Consumer Response to Fuel Economy: A Review of the Literature .” International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics 5.2 (2011): 103-146
• Kenworthy,Jeffrey R. and Felix B. Laube. (1996) “ Automobile dependence in cities: An international comparison of urban transport and land use patterns with implications for sustainability ,” Environmental Impact Assessment Review 16(4–6): 279–308
• Litman, Todd (2006). “ London Congestion Pricing Implications for Other Cities .” Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Jan 10
• Mahaparta, Lisa (2013). “ Gas Prices At The Pump: Europeans Pay Almost Twice As Much As US Residents ” International Business Times
• Ford, Peter (2005). “ Gas prices too high? Try Europe .” The Christian Science Monitor  
• “ FACTBOX: Auto emission standards around the world .” Reuters 2009
• Snavely, Brent (2012). “ U.S. announces tough new 54.5-mpg CAFE standard for vehicle fuel economy ” Detroit Free Press
• End of Suburbia documentary

Week 8, 9, 10: (April 1-20)  Segregation and Housing

Rise of the suburb

Housing segregation

Housing assistance and promoting home ownership

Third Writing Assignment due

Inman, chapter 5

Bluestone, chapter 12

Edwards, chapter 13

O’Sullivan, chapter 8

Reading Articles :

Fischel, William A. “ An Economic History of Zoning and a Cure for its Exclusionary Effects ,” Urban Studies , 41(2): 317–340, February 2004

“ Social Benefits of Homeownership and Stable Housing ,” National Association of Realtors Research Division , August 2010

Dietz, Robert D. and Donald R. Haurin (2003). “ The social and private micro-level consequences of homeownership ,” Journal of Urban Economics , 54 (3): 401–450

Collins, Michael (2003). “ Towards a Strategic Federal Policy Promoting Homeownership ,” Federal Homeownership Policy.

Ross, Stephen (2008). “ Understanding Racial Segregation: What is known about the Effect of Housing Discrimination ,” UConn Working Paper

Seitles, Marc (1996). “ The Perpetuation of Residential Racial Segregation in America: Historical Discrimination, Modern Forms of Exclusion, and Inclusionary Remedies ,” Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law

Ladd, Helen (1998). “ Evidence on Discrimination in Mortgage Lending ,” The Journal of Economic Perspectives ,12(2): 41- 62

Been,Vicki,  Ingrid Ellen, and Josiah Madar (2008). “ The High Cost of Segregation: Exploring Racial Disparities in High Cost Lending ,”  Fordham Urban Law Journal , 36(3)

US Census Bureau. Residential Segregation of Blacks or African Americans: 1980- 2000 , Chapter 5, page 59

Suresh, Geetha and Gennaro f. Vito (2009). “ Homicide Patterns and Public Housing : The Case of Louisville, KY (1989- 2007)” Homicide Studies

Popkin, Susan J., Michael J. Rich, Leah Hendey, Chris Hayes, and Joe Parilla, “ Public Housing Transformation and Crime: Making the Case for  Responsible relocation” The Urban Institute

Denvir, Daniel (2011). “ The Ten Most Segregated Urban Areas in America ,” Salon, March 29

David M. Cutler, Edward L. Glaeser, and Jacob L. Vigdor (1999). “ The Rise and Decline of the American Ghetto ,” Journal of Political Economy , 107(3): 455- 506

Chetty, Raj, Nathaniel Hendren, and Lawrence F. Katz. 2016. “The Effects of Exposure to Better Neighborhoods on Children: New Evidence from the Moving to Opportunity Experiment.” American Economic Review 106 (4): 855–902. Non-technical summary

Chetty, Raj, and Nathaniel Hendren. 2018. “The Impacts of Neighborhoods on Intergenerational Mobility I: Childhood Exposure Effects.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 133(3): 1107-1162. Non-technical summary.

Week 11, 12, 13 April (April 22 – May 11): Education

Education and Market failure

Education crisis, segregation and empirical evidence

presentations

O’Sullivan, chapter 12

Bluestone, chapter 8

Inman, chapter 9

Brown v. Board at Fifty: “With an Even Hand” A century of Racial segregation , Library of Congress

• Hoxby, Caroline Minter (1996). “ Are Efficiency and Equity in School Finance Substitutes or Complements? ”  The Journal of Economic Perspectives,  10(4): 51-73
• Tulip, Peter and Gregory Wurzburg (2007). “ Primary and Secondary Education in the United States ,”  OECD Economics Department working Paper No. 585
• Taylor, Lori (1999) “ Government’s Role in Primary and Secondary Education ,” Economic Review — Dallas, 15 – 23
• The Cities, Suburbs and Schools Project website .  (read the report titled: Visual Guide to Sheff vs. O’Neill School Desegregation)
• Bifulco, Robert, Helen Ladd and Stephen Ross (2009). “ The Effects of Public School Choice on Those Left Behind: Evidence from Durham, North Carolina ,” Peabody Journal of Education, 84:130- 149
• Ross, Stephen, John Clapp and Anupam Nanda (2008). “ Which school attributes matter? The influence of school district performance and demographic composition on property values ,”  Journal of Urban Economics  63, 451-466
• Chetty, Raj, John N. Friedman, and Jonah E. Rockoff. 2011. “Measuring the Impacts of Teachers II: Teacher Value-Added and Student Outcomes in Adulthood.” American Economic Review 104 (9): 2633–79.
• Fredriksson, Peter, Björn Öckert, and Hessel Oosterbeek. 2013. “Long-Term Effects of Class Size.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 128 (1): 249–85.
• Reardon, Sean. 2016. “School Segregation and Racial Academic Achievement Gaps.” Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences 2 (5): 34–57.
• Reardon, Sean, Demetra Kalagrides, and Kenneth Shores. 2016. “The Geography of Racial/ Ethnic Test Score Gaps.” CEPA Working Paper , no. 16.
• Bifulco, Robert, Jason Fletcher, Sun Jung Oh and Stephen Ross (2009). “ Do High School Peers Have Persistent Effects on College Attainment and Other Life Outcomes? ” Labour Economics 29: 83- 90
• Dobbie, Will, and Roland G. Fryer. 2011. “Are High-Quality Schools Enough to Increase Achievement among the Poor? Evidence from the Harlem Children’s Zone.” American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 3 (3): 158–87.
• Baker, Bruce (2012). “ Does Money Matter in Education? ” The Albert Shanker Institute
• Hoxby, Caroline, and Sarah Turner. 2013. “Expanding College Opportunities for High-Achieving, Low Income Students.” Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research Discussion Paper , no. 12-014: 1–57
• Zimmerman, Seth D. 2014. “The Returns to College Admission for Academically Marginal Students.” Journal of Labor Economics 32(4): 711-754.
• Chetty, Raj, John N. Friedman, Nathaniel Hilger, Emmanuel Saez, Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, and Danny Yagan. 2011. “How Does Your Kindergarten Classroom Affect Your Earnings? Evidence from Project STAR.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 126 (4): 1593–1660.

• Frontiers in Medicine
• Geriatric Medicine
• Research Topics

Urban Aging

Total Downloads

Total Views and Downloads

About this Research Topic

Urban aging is an emerging research topic that focuses on the study of senior citizens from an urban health perspective of aging. The scientific assumptions postulated are that the shift toward urbanized lifestyles, combined with an aging population and emerging threats such as climate change, has promoted an increased burden of a range of non-communicable human diseases. Moreover, the context of aging and the use of age-related health services can vary greatly between urban and rural settings. Of course, the aging of society is a positive but challenging phenomenon, as population aging and urbanization are linked to the success of human development. However, whether the urban environment is a better place to age and live in later life than rural areas is still a question without solid evidence, and the rise of chronic non-communicable diseases opens a window for research on investigating the link between the urban environment and chronic disease risk. This Research Topic will explore all the evidence related to the impact of the urban environment and urban pollutants on the prevalence and exposure to the risk of developing chronic diseases in the aging population, including approaches implemented to create age-friendly cities and all concerns related to urban aging. Original article, systematic review, review, mini-review, and opinion paper providing additional knowledge on the topic "Urban Aging" will be welcome.

Keywords : Urban population, Cities, Age-friendly, Urban Health, Pollution, Air Pollutants, Elderly, Disability, Healthy Aging, Multimorbidity, Geriatrics, Older Population, Epidemiology, Public Health, Geriatric Assessment, Aging Research

Important Note : All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic Editors

Topic coordinators, submission deadlines, participating journals.

Manuscripts can be submitted to this Research Topic via the following journals:

total views

• Demographics

No records found

total views article views downloads topic views

Top countries

Top referring sites, about frontiers research topics.

With their unique mixes of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author.

Economics for Disaster Prevention and Preparedness in Europe

Europe is facing overwhelming losses and destruction from climate-related disasters. From 1980 to 2022, weather and climate-related events across the EU caused total losses of about €650 billion , or around €15.5 billion per year. Recent disasters, such as floods in 2022 and wildfires in 2023, have highlighted the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure, including emergency response buildings such as fire stations, but also roads and power lines.

To guide priority investments in disaster and climate resilience and strengthen financial resilience, the report series  Economics for Disaster Prevention and Preparedness —developed by the World Bank and the European Commission—offers evidence and tools to help countries take a more strategic approach to boost their climate resilience. These approaches are also being promoted and operationalized through the ongoing Technical Assistance Financing Facility for Disaster Prevention and Preparedness (TAFF) ,  funded by the European Commission, and implemented by the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery ( GFDRR ).

From Data to Decisions: Tools for making smart investments in prevention and preparedness in Europe

Half of EU Member States have fire stations located in areas with high levels of multiple hazards including wildfires, landslides, floods, or earthquakes. Investing in disaster resilience makes economic sense , and there is an urgency to scale up investments in disaster and climate resilience in a cost-effective and smart manner. This report provides guidance and examples on how to make focused and smart investments to increase the disaster and climate resilience of critical sectors, including those that provide emergency-response services. Risk data, analytical tools, and examples can guide decision-making toward high-priority areas and enable a strategic approach that maximizes benefits of investing in resilience.

Investing in Resilience: Climate adaptation costing in a changing world

The report provides new insights into the costs for a country to adapt to the impacts of climate change, new costing approaches, and best practices with estimated ranges for various sectors and multiple risks. While the estimated cost of climate adaptation varies significantly, in the EU, climate change adaptation costs up to the 2030s are estimated(based on extrapolation from national studies) to be between €15 billion to €64 billion. As Europe grapples with the escalating risks of climate change , the urgency to develop 'adaptation pathways' is paramount. These decision-making approaches enable countries to prepare and act amidst uncertainty, informed by current and future climate risks.

Financially Prepared: The case for pre-positioned finance

Floods, earthquakes, landslides and storms, wildfires and droughts, extreme heat risks create additional pressure on already constrained response and recovery budgets. The size of a potential funding gap due to major earthquakes and floods varies between €13 billion to €50 billion . Should a drought or a wildfire happen in a year where a major earthquake or flood has already occurred, there would be no funding available at the EU level to respond to a wildfire or drought event. Countries in Europe need to enhance their financial resilience through better data utilization and innovative financial instruments, including risk transfer to the private sector.

Related reports

DOWNLOAD PDF

SUMMARY  | BACKGROUND REPORT

This site uses cookies to optimize functionality and give you the best possible experience. If you continue to navigate this website beyond this page, cookies will be placed on your browser. To learn more about cookies, click here .

• Future Students
• Current Students
• Faculty/Staff

News and Media

• News & Media Home
• Research Stories
• School's In
• In the Media

You are here

70 years after brown v. board of education, new research shows rise in school segregation.

As the nation prepares to mark the 70th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education , a new report from researchers at Stanford and USC shows that racial and economic segregation among schools has grown steadily in large school districts over the past three decades — an increase that appears to be driven in part by policies favoring school choice over integration.

Analyzing data from U.S. public schools going back to 1967, the researchers found that segregation between white and Black students has increased by 64 percent since 1988 in the 100 largest districts, and segregation by economic status has increased by about 50 percent since 1991.

The report also provides new evidence about the forces driving recent trends in school segregation, showing that the expansion of charter schools has played a major role.  

The findings were released on May 6 with the launch of the Segregation Explorer , a new interactive website from the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University. The website provides searchable data on racial and economic school segregation in U.S. states, counties, metropolitan areas, and school districts from 1991 to 2022. 

“School segregation levels are not at pre- Brown levels, but they are high and have been rising steadily since the late 1980s,” said Sean Reardon , the Professor of Poverty and Inequality in Education at Stanford Graduate School of Education and faculty director of the Educational Opportunity Project. “In most large districts, school segregation has increased while residential segregation and racial economic inequality have declined, and our findings indicate that policy choices – not demographic changes – are driving the increase.” 

“There’s a tendency to attribute segregation in schools to segregation in neighborhoods,” said Ann Owens , a professor of sociology and public policy at USC. “But we’re finding that the story is more complicated than that.”

Assessing the rise

In the Brown v. Board decision issued on May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racially segregated public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and established that “separate but equal” schools were not only inherently unequal but unconstitutional. The ruling paved the way for future decisions that led to rapid school desegregation in many school districts in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Though segregation in most school districts is much lower than it was 60 years ago, the researchers found that over the past three decades, both racial and economic segregation in large districts increased. Much of the increase in economic segregation since 1991, measured by segregation between students eligible and ineligible for free lunch, occurred in the last 15 years.

White-Hispanic and white-Asian segregation, while lower on average than white-Black segregation, have both more than doubled in large school districts since the 1980s. 

Racial-economic segregation – specifically the difference in the proportion of free-lunch-eligible students between the average white and Black or Hispanic student’s schools – has increased by 70 percent since 1991. 

School segregation is strongly associated with achievement gaps between racial and ethnic groups, especially the rate at which achievement gaps widen during school, the researchers said.  

“Segregation appears to shape educational outcomes because it concentrates Black and Hispanic students in higher-poverty schools, which results in unequal learning opportunities,” said Reardon, who is also a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and a faculty affiliate of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning . 

Policies shaping recent trends 

The recent rise in school segregation appears to be the direct result of educational policy and legal decisions, the researchers said. 

Both residential segregation and racial disparities in income declined between 1990 and 2020 in most large school districts. “Had nothing else changed, that trend would have led to lower school segregation,” said Owens. 

But since 1991, roughly two-thirds of districts that were under court-ordered desegregation have been released from court oversight. Meanwhile, since 1998, the charter sector – a form of expanded school choice – has grown.

Expanding school choice could influence segregation levels in different ways: If families sought schools that were more diverse than the ones available in their neighborhood, it could reduce segregation. But the researchers found that in districts where the charter sector expanded most rapidly in the 2000s and 2010s, segregation grew the most. 

The researchers’ analysis also quantified the extent to which the release from court orders accounted for the rise in school segregation. They found that, together, the release from court oversight and the expansion of choice accounted entirely for the rise in school segregation from 2000 to 2019.

The researchers noted enrollment policies that school districts can implement to mitigate segregation, such as voluntary integration programs, socioeconomic-based student assignment policies, and school choice policies that affirmatively promote integration. 

“School segregation levels are high, troubling, and rising in large districts,” said Reardon. “These findings should sound an alarm for educators and policymakers.”

Additional collaborators on the project include Demetra Kalogrides, Thalia Tom, and Heewon Jang. This research, including the development of the Segregation Explorer data and website, was supported by the Russell Sage Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.   

More Stories

⟵ Go to all Research Stories

Get the Educator

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Stanford Graduate School of Education

482 Galvez Mall Stanford, CA 94305-3096 Tel: (650) 723-2109

• Contact Admissions
• GSE Leadership
• Site Feedback
• Web Accessibility
• Career Resources
• Faculty Open Positions
• Explore Courses
• Academic Calendar
• Office of the Registrar
• Cubberley Library
• StanfordWho
• StanfordYou

Improving lives through learning

• Stanford Home
• Maps & Directions
• Search Stanford
• Emergency Info
• Terms of Use
• Non-Discrimination
• Accessibility

© Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305 .

Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Full Topic List

Regions & Countries

• Publications
• Our Methods
• Short Reads
• Tools & Resources

Read Our Research On:

• Half of Latinas Say Hispanic Women’s Situation Has Improved in the Past Decade and Expect More Gains

3. Educational and economic differences among Latinas today

Table of contents.

• Assessing the progress of Hispanic women in the last 10 years
• Views of Hispanic women’s situation in the next 10 years
• Views on the gender pay gap
• Latinas’ educational attainment
• Latinas’ labor force participation
• Latinas’ earnings
• Latinas as breadwinners in their relationships
• Bachelor’s degrees among Latinas
• Labor force participation rates among Latinas
• Occupations among working Latinas
• Earnings among Latinas
• Latinas as breadwinners in 2022
• Appendix: Supplemental charts and tables
• Acknowledgments
• The American Trends Panel survey methodology
• Methodology for the analysis of the Current Population Survey

Though Latinas have collectively seen socioeconomic gains, their educational and economic circumstances are varied. Younger Latinas and U.S.-born Latinas, for instance, are more likely to report having a bachelor’s degree than older and immigrant Latinas, respectively. This chapter explores how other characteristics such as spouse or partner ethnicity and presence of their children at home are associated with differences in educational and economic outcomes.

Some Latinas are more likely than others to have a bachelor’s degree.

• Age: Younger Latinas (ages 25 to 29) are about twice as likely as older Latinas (ages 65 or older) to hold a bachelor’s degree (30% vs. 14%).
• Nativity: U.S.-born Latinas are more likely than those born outside the U.S. to hold a bachelor’s degree (30% vs. 19%).

Though labor force participation rates have increased in the last two decades for Latinas overall, some are more likely to be employed or seeking work. Among civilians ages 25 to 64:

• Education: Latinas with a bachelor’s degree or higher are more likely than those with a high school education or less to participate in the labor force (82% vs. 60%).
• Nativity: U.S.-born Latinas are more likely than Latinas born outside the U.S. to participate in the labor force (75% vs. 64%).
• Spouse or partner: Latinas who are living with a Hispanic spouse or partner are less likely to work or seek work than those living with a non-Hispanic partner (63% vs. 77%).
• Children at home: Latinas with children in the home are less likely to work or seek work than Latinas without (67% vs. 73%).

Among civilian Latinas ages 25 to 64 who were employed or looking for work in 2023, 15% work in office and administrative support occupations. Similar shares work in management, business and financial occupations (13%) and education, legal, community service, arts and media occupations (12%).

The kinds of occupations Latinas most recently worked in are also associated with whether they have a bachelor’s degree. Among civilian Latinas ages 25 to 64 who were employed or looking for work in 2023:

• Those with a bachelor’s are most likely to have education, legal, community service, arts and media jobs (27%) or management, business and financial jobs (24%).
• For those without a bachelor’s, the most common occupational groups are office and administrative support (17%) and health care support, protective service, and personal care and service (15%).
• Those with a bachelor’s degree are less likely than those without one to work in health care support, protective service, and personal care and service occupations (6% vs. 15%, respectively) and building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (3% vs. 12%).

Though wages have increased for Latinas overall in the last two decades, some earn more than others. Among Latinas ages 25 to 64 who are not self-employed:

• Education: Latinas with a bachelor’s degree make $28.85 per hour (at the median) while those with a high school education or less earn $16.67 per hour.
• Nativity: U.S.-born Latinas make more per hour than immigrant Latinas ($21.25 vs. $17.90).
• Spouse or partner: Hispanic women who live with a spouse or partner earn roughly the same as those without a spouse or partner. However, Hispanic women living with a non- Hispanic spouse or partner make significantly more at the median than those living with a Hispanic spouse or partner ($25.00 vs. $19.00).
• Children at home: Latinas living with their children earn about the same as Latinas not living with their children ($18.50 vs. $20.00).

Overall, 13% of Hispanic women living with their spouse or partner are the breadwinners of their couples. Another 28% of Latinas are in financially egalitarian relationships, while the remaining 59% are living with a breadwinner spouse or partner.

Some Latinas are more likely than others to be either their relationships’ breadwinners or in financially egalitarian relationships with their spouse or partner.

• Education: Latinas with a bachelor’s degree or higher were more likely than those with a high school education or less to be breadwinners (16% vs. 9%, respectively) or in financially egalitarian relationships (35% vs. 24%).
• Spouse or partner: Hispanic women living with a partner or spouse who is not Hispanic were more likely than those with a Hispanic spouse or partner to be the breadwinner of their relationship (16% vs. 12%, respectively). They were also less likely than their Hispanic-partnered counterparts to say their spouse or partner was the breadwinner (54% vs. 61%).

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

Fresh data delivery Saturday mornings

Sign up for The Briefing

Weekly updates on the world of news & information

• Economics, Work & Gender
• Education & Gender
• Educational Attainment
• Gender & Work
• Gender Equality & Discrimination
• Gender Pay Gap
• Higher Education
• Hispanics/Latinos
• Hispanics/Latinos & Education

Key facts about U.S. Latinos with graduate degrees

Hispanic enrollment reaches new high at four-year colleges in the u.s., but affordability remains an obstacle, u.s. public school students often go to schools where at least half of their peers are the same race or ethnicity, what’s behind the growing gap between men and women in college completion, for u.s. latinos, covid-19 has taken a personal and financial toll, most popular, report materials.

1615 L St. NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036 USA (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax (+1) 202-419-4372 |  Media Inquiries

Research Topics

• Age & Generations
• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Economy & Work
• Family & Relationships
• Gender & LGBTQ
• Immigration & Migration
• International Affairs
• Internet & Technology
• Methodological Research
• News Habits & Media
• Non-U.S. Governments
• Other Topics
• Politics & Policy
• Race & Ethnicity
• Email Newsletters

ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of  The Pew Charitable Trusts .

Copyright 2024 Pew Research Center

The Streetlight Effect in Data-Driven Exploration

We examine innovative contexts like scientific research or technical R&D where agents must search across many potential projects of varying and uncertain returns. Is it better to possess incomplete but accurate data on the value of some projects, or might there be cases where it is better to explore on a blank slate? While more data usually improves welfare, we present a theoretical framework to understand how it can unexpectedly decrease it. In our model of the streetlight effect, we predict that when data shines a light on attractive but not optimal projects, it can severely narrow the breadth of exploration and lower individual and group payoffs. We test our predictions in an online lab experiment and show that the availability of data on the true value of one project can lower individual payoffs by 17% and reduce the likelihood of discovering the optimal outcome by 54% compared to cases where no data is provided. Suggestive empirical evidence from genetics research illustrates our framework in a real-world setting: data on moderately promising genetic targets delays valuable discoveries by 1.6 years on average. Our paper provides the first systematic examination of the streetlight effect, outlining the conditions under which data leads agents to look under the lamppost rather than engage in socially beneficial exploration.

The first part of the experiment was conducted online via the Toronto Experimental Economics Laboratory in September 2021 and March 2022. The second part of the experiment was conducted online via the Vienna Center for Experimental Economics in July, August, and October 2023. The experiment received approval from the University of Toronto Research Ethics Board (approval #00038482) and was pre-registered at https://osf.io/zs2mu/. We are grateful to Gary Biglaiser, Kevin Bryan, Emeric Henry, Ryan Hill, Riitta Katila, Ramana Nanda, Jean-Robert Tyran and participants at the SIE workshop, the MOM workshop at HBS, the MAD conference at Columbia, the SMS Special Conference at Bocconi, the Strategy Science conference, as well as seminars at BU, GeorgiaTech, Michigan, NBER, Purdue, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and Wharton for their suggestions. We thank Adit Jain for his outstanding help in designing the experimental platform. Eva Chang and Cecil-Francis Brenninkmeijer provided excellent research assistance. All authors contributed equally and are listed in alphabetical order. Corresponding author: [email protected]. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

MARC RIS BibTeΧ

Download Citation Data

• data appendix

Working Groups

More from nber.

In addition to working papers , the NBER disseminates affiliates’ latest findings through a range of free periodicals — the NBER Reporter , the NBER Digest , the Bulletin on Retirement and Disability , the Bulletin on Health , and the Bulletin on Entrepreneurship  — as well as online conference reports , video lectures , and interviews .