Transforming the Urban Economy

This course focuses on developing cities and transformative initiatives, especially in New York City. This course will examine a wide array of economic development projects and strategies. It will look at the core economic goals set forth nearly two decades ago to diversify the economy and make it less dependent on financial services, while examining the challenges faced by cities today in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Land use policy, incentives, new developments, placemaking initiatives, and approaches to district management will also be studied. Students will gain a broad understanding of how economic development tools and tactics have been leveraged to revitalize central business districts, neighborhoods, the waterfront, and public spaces.

This course will review the effectiveness of public-private partnerships, including business improvement districts (BIDs), local development corporations, and park conservancies.  New York City is the home of the largest network of BIDs in the world. During the course, we will also examine how anchor institutions (universities, hospitals, cultural organizations) play an increased role in community revitalization.