ECON316 Urban Economics
ECON316 Urban Economics
Syllabus | International University of Sarajevo - Last Update on Apr 04, 2026
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Economics
Mehmed Ganić
Course Lecturer
Course Objectives
This course covers urban economics, focusing on housing, labor, and transportation. It explores how rents and wages are set, household and firm location choices, city amenities, agglomeration, and city size. It also examines housing and transportation policy, land use, and urban issues such as discrimination, crime, congestions. This course helps students apply urban economics to real-world situations by observing, collecting, and analyzing local urban data, and local polices. Students are not expected to use advanced statistics or pre-existing datasets; the focus is on observation, economic logic, and interpretation.
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Course Materials
Required Textbook
Brueckner, J.K. (2011) Lectures on Urban Economics, MIT
Additional Literature
i. Glaeser, E.L., J. Kolko and A. Saiz. 2001. Consumer city. Journal of Economic Geography, 1, pp. 27-50. ii. Roback, J. 1982. Wages, rents, and quality of life. Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 90, No. 6, pp. 1257-1278.Teaching Methods
The methods include lectures (which may involve power point presentation
Video and audio aids)
Student presentations
Projects and class discussions.
Weekly Topics
| Week | Topic | Readings / References |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Non-working day | |
| 2 | Why do cities exist? | Chapter 1 |
| 3 | Standard monocentric city model | Chapter 2 |
| 4 | Policentric City Model | Chapter 3 |
| 5 | Case Study :Detroit | |
| 6 | Case Study Student's Presentation: Urban policies: Decline and the rise of the cities (positive and negative examples) | |
| 7 | Social Housing | Chapter 4 |
| 8 | No lectures: students are expected to read to complete task from the last lecture | Online sites |
|
Provided through Teams in the Presentation
|
||
| 9 | Reading and analyzing: Sociology of Consumption | The Sociology of Consumption by P. J. REY AND GEORGE RITZER |
|
The article will be distributed later
|
||
| 10 | Reporting from Regional Conference, Discussion on Sociology of Consuption; Housing prices and housing policies | Chapter 6 |
| 11 | Case Study | |
|
Analyzing housing prices of one city and presenting it
|
||
| 12 | City as a Classroom: Local public goods, Amenities | Chapter 8 |
|
The location and more details will be distributed through Teams
|
||
| 13 | Transportation and urban economy; Rosen Roback Framework | Chapter 5; Chapter 11 |
| 14 | Project | |
|
To analyze one neighborhood like we did at "City as a Classroom"
|
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| 15 | Summing up-Final Exam Preparation | |
Course Schedule (All Sections)
| Section | Type | Day 1 | Venue 1 | Day 2 | Venue 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECON316.1 | Course | Monday 15:00 - 17:50 | B F2.5 | - | - |
Office Hours & Room
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Assessment Components
Final Exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 3 4 5
Project
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 3 4
Case Study
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 3 4 5
IUS Grading System
| Grading Scale | IUS Grading System | IUS Coeff. | Letter (B&H) | Numerical (B&H) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 44 | F | 0 | F | 5 |
| 45 - 54 | E | 1 | ||
| 55 - 64 | C | 2 | E | 6 |
| 65 - 69 | C+ | 2.3 | D | 7 |
| 70 -74 | B- | 2.7 | ||
| 75 - 79 | B | 3 | C | 8 |
| 80 - 84 | B+ | 3.3 | ||
| 85 - 94 | A- | 3.7 | B | 9 |
| 95 - 100 | A | 4 | A | 10 |
Late Work Policy
Information about late submission policies will be shared during class and posted in this section. Please check back for official guidelines.
ECTS Credit Calculation
📚 Student Workload
This 6 ECTS credit course corresponds to 150 hours of total student workload, distributed as follows:
Lecture hours
45 hours ⏳ (15 week × 3 h)
Home study
45 hours ⏳ (15 week × 3 h)
Projects
20 hours ⏳ (2 week × 10 h)
Case Study
15 hours ⏳ (1 week × 15 h)
Final Exam
25 hours ⏳ (1 week × 25 h)
150 Total Workload Hours
6 ECTS Credits
Course Policies
Academic Integrity
All work submitted must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action according to university policies. When in doubt about citation practices, consult the instructor.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to adhere to the attendance requirements as outlined in the International University of Sarajevo Study Rules and Regulations. Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, may impact academic performance and eligibility for assessment. Mandatory sessions (e.g., labs, workshops) require attendance unless formally exempted. For detailed policies on absences, documentation, and penalties, please refer to the official university regulations.
Technology & AI Policy
Laptops/tablets may be used for note-taking only during lectures. Phones should be silenced and put away during all class sessions. Audio/video recording requires prior permission from the instructor.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage: The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) varies by assessment component. Please refer to the AI usage indicator next to each assessment item in the Assessment Methods and Criteria section above. Submitting AI-generated content as your own work, where AI is not explicitly allowed, constitutes an academic integrity violation.
Communication Policy
All course-related communication should occur through official university channels (institutional email or SIS). Emails should include [ECON316] in the subject line.
Academic Quality Assurance Policy
Course Academic Quality Assurance is achieved through Semester Student Survey. At the end of each academic year, the institution of higher education is obliged to evaluate work of the academic staff, or the success of realization of the curricula.
Learning Tips
Be prepared to contribute thoughtfully during class discussions, labs, or collaborative work. Active participation deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.
Complete assigned readings or prep materials before class. Take notes, highlight key ideas, and jot down questions. Aim to grasp core concepts and their applications—not just facts.
Use course frameworks or methodologies to analyze problems, case studies, or projects. Begin early to allow time for reflection and refinement. Seek feedback to improve your work.
Don’t hesitate to reach out when something is unclear. Use office hours, discussion boards, or peer networks to clarify concepts and stay on track.
Syllabus Last Updated on Apr 04, 2026 | International University of Sarajevo
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Referencing Curricula Print this page
| Course Code | Course Title | Weekly Hours* | ECTS | Weekly Class Schedule | ||||||
| T | P | |||||||||
| ECON316 | Urban Economics | 3 | 0 | 6 | Monday 15.00 - 17:50 | |||||
| Prerequisite | Junior Standing | It is a prerequisite to | - | |||||||
| Lecturer | Mehmed Ganić | Office Hours / Room / Phone | ||||||||
| mganic@ius.edu.ba | ||||||||||
| Assistant | Assistant E-mail | |||||||||
| Course Objectives | This course covers urban economics, focusing on housing, labor, and transportation. It explores how rents and wages are set, household and firm location choices, city amenities, agglomeration, and city size. It also examines housing and transportation policy, land use, and urban issues such as discrimination, crime, congestions. This course helps students apply urban economics to real-world situations by observing, collecting, and analyzing local urban data, and local polices. Students are not expected to use advanced statistics or pre-existing datasets; the focus is on observation, economic logic, and interpretation. |
|||||||||
| Textbook | Brueckner, J.K. (2011) Lectures on Urban Economics, MIT | |||||||||
| Additional Literature |
|
|||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to: | |||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | The methods include lectures (which may involve power point presentation, video and audio aids), student presentations, projects and class discussions. | |||||||||
| Teaching Method Delivery | Face-to-face | Teaching Method Delivery Notes | ||||||||
| WEEK | TOPIC | REFERENCE | ||||||||
| Week 1 | Non-working day | |||||||||
| Week 2 | Why do cities exist? | Chapter 1 | ||||||||
| Week 3 | Standard monocentric city model | Chapter 2 | ||||||||
| Week 4 | Policentric City Model | Chapter 3 | ||||||||
| Week 5 | Case Study :Detroit | |||||||||
| Week 6 | Case Study Student's Presentation: Urban policies: Decline and the rise of the cities (positive and negative examples) | |||||||||
| Week 7 | Social Housing | Chapter 4 | ||||||||
| Week 8 | No lectures: students are expected to read to complete task from the last lecture | Online sites | ||||||||
| Week 9 | Reading and analyzing: Sociology of Consumption | The Sociology of Consumption by P. J. REY AND GEORGE RITZER | ||||||||
| Week 10 | Reporting from Regional Conference, Discussion on Sociology of Consuption; Housing prices and housing policies | Chapter 6 | ||||||||
| Week 11 | Case Study | |||||||||
| Week 12 | City as a Classroom: Local public goods, Amenities | Chapter 8 | ||||||||
| Week 13 | Transportation and urban economy; Rosen Roback Framework | Chapter 5; Chapter 11 | ||||||||
| Week 14 | Project | |||||||||
| Week 15 | Summing up-Final Exam Preparation | |||||||||
| Assessment Methods and Criteria | Evaluation Tool | Quantity | Weight | Alignment with LOs | AI Usage |
| Final Exam | 1 | 25 | 1,2,3,4,5 | Not Allowed | |
| Semester Evaluation Components | |||||
| Project | 2 | 50 | 3,4 | Not Allowed | |
| Case Study | 1 | 25 | 1,2,3,4,5 | Not Allowed | |
| *** ECTS Credit Calculation *** | |||||
| Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | |||
| Lecture hours | 3 | 15 | 45 | Home study | 3 | 15 | 45 | |||
| Projects | 10 | 2 | 20 | Case Study | 15 | 1 | 15 | |||
| Final Exam | 25 | 1 | 25 | 0 | ||||||
| 0 | ||||||||||
| Total Workload Hours = | 150 | |||||||||
| *T= Teaching, P= Practice | ECTS Credit = | 6 | ||||||||
| Course Academic Quality Assurance: Semester Student Survey | Last Update Date: 08/04/2026 | |||||||||