Course detail

Socio-economic Theories of Urban Development

FA-SET-ZEAcad. year: 2025/2026

The aim of the course is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the various theories and frameworks that have been developed to analyze and explain the processes of urbanization and urban development. This includes both historical and contemporary theories, and focuses on the economic, social, and political factors that shape urban development, the role of institutions and governance in shaping urban outcomes, and the ways in which different urban forms and structures can influence the well-being and quality of life of residents. The course also examines the ways in which different urban environments and contexts form the development and implementation of urban policies and interventions as well as explore the potential impacts of these policies on various stakeholders, including residents, businesses, and public sector actors.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

4

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

dr. hab. Mateusz Blaszczyk

Department

University of Wroclaw ()

Aims

  • Students learn to identify economic, social, and political factors that shape urban development.
  • Students learn to identify the role of institutions and governance in shaping urban outcomes.
  • Students learn to identify the ways in which different urban forms and structures can influence the well-being and quality of life of residents.
  • Students learn about the ways in which different urban environments and contexts form the development and implementation of urban policies and interventions as well as explore the potential impacts of these policies on various stakeholders, including residents, businesses, and public sector actors.
  • Students learn to analyze different case studies of good policy driven urban development.
  • Graduates learn about urban policy proposal as a mode of politics. 
  • Graduates are able to critically analyze different case studies of policy driven urban development.
  • Students learn to work with the most advanced research literature on topic of urban development and urban public policy.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

  • active participation in group discussions during classes (52.3%, on a regular basis)
  • final essay (47.3%, sometime at the end of the semester)

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Borén, T., & Young, C. (2013). Getting creative with the ‘creative city’? Towards new perspectives on creativity in urban policy. International journal of urban and regional research, 37(5), 1799-1815. (EN)
Capello, R., & Nijkamp, P. (Eds.). (2019). Handbook of regional growth and development theories: revised and extended second edition. Edward Elgar Publishing. (EN)
Garcia, B. (2005 Deconstructing the City of Culture: The Long-term Cultural Legacies of Glasgow 1990. Urban Studies , 42 (5–6), 841–868. https://doi.org/10.1080/00420980500107532 (EN)
Harvey, D. (1978). The urban process under capitalism: a framework for analysis. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 2(1-3), 101-131. (EN)
Hyra, D. S. (2012). Conceptualizing the new urban renewal: Comparing the past to the present. Urban Affairs Review, 48(4), 498-527. (EN)
Krätke, S. (2011). The creative capital of cities: Interactive knowledge creation and the urbanization economies of innovation (Vol. 32). John Wiley & Sons. (EN)
Lloyd, R., & Clark, T. N. (2001). The city as an entertainment machine. Critical perspectives on urban redevelopment, 6(3), 357-378. (EN)
Molotch, H. (1976). The city as a growth machine: Toward a political economy of place. American Journal of Sociology, 82(2), 309-332. (EN)
Pierre, J. (2014). Can urban regimes travel in time and space? Urban regime theory, urban governance theory, and comparative urban politics. Urban Affairs Review, 50(6), 864-889. (EN)
Scott, A. J. (2008). Social economy of the metropolis: Cognitive-cultural capitalism and the global resurgence of cities. OUP Oxford. (EN)
Silver, D., Clark, T. N., & Graziul, C. (2011). Scenes, innovation, and urban development. In Handbook of creative cities. Edward Elgar Publishing. (EN)
Storper, M., & Manville, M. (2006). Behaviour, preferences and cities: Urban theory and urban resurgence. Urban Studies, 43(8), 1247-1274. (EN)
Storper, M., & Scott, A. J. (2016). Current debates in urban theory: A critical assessment. Urban Studies, 53(6), 1114–1136. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098016634002 (EN)

Recommended reading

Ananya Roy (2016) What is urban about critical urban theory?, Urban Geography, 37:6, 810-823, DOI: 10.1080/02723638.2015.1105485 (EN)
Binns, L. (2005). Capitalising on culture: an evaluation of culture-led urban regeneration policy. https://arrow.tudublin.ie/futuresacart/5/ (EN)
d'Ovidio, M. (2019). Creative City. The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Studies, 1-5. (EN)
Glaeser, E. L., & Gottlieb, J. D. (2006). Urban resurgence and the consumer city. Urban studies, 43(8), 1275-1299. (EN)
Jon C. Teaford (2000) Urban Renewal and Its Aftermath, Housing Policy Debate, 11:2, 443-465, DOI: 10.1080/10511482.2000.9521373 (EN)
Krätke, S. (2012). The new urban growth ideology of “creative cities”. In Cities for people, not for profit (pp. 138-149). Routledge. (EN)
Landry, C. (2012). The origins & futures of the creative city. Bournes Green: Comedia. (EN)
Martin, R. (2003., A Study on the Factors of Regional Competitiveness. A Final Report for The European Commission, Brussel: Directorate-General Regional Policy. (EN)
Parnell, S. (2016). Defining a global urban development agenda. World development, 78, 5. 529-540. (EN)
Silver, D., & Nichols Clark, T. (2015). The power of scenes: Quantities of amenities and qualities of places. Cultural Studies, 29(3), 425-449. (EN)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme NE_INUS Master's 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

30 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

dr. hab. Mateusz Blaszczyk

Syllabus

  1. What is urban development?
  2. Urban ciris, urban renewal, and urban resurgence
  3. Circulation of capital and city formation
  4. Economic theories of local growth
  5. The growth machine and urban coalitions
  6. Creative cities and the creative class
  7. Culture-led urban development
  8. Festivalisation and the entertainment machine

Seminar

20 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

dr. hab. Mateusz Blaszczyk

Syllabus

  1. What is urban development?
  2. Urban ciris, urban renewal, and urban resurgence
  3. Circulation of capital and city formation
  4. Economic theories of local growth
  5. The growth machine and urban coalitions
  6. Creative cities and the creative class
  7. Culture-led urban development
  8. Festivalisation and the entertainment machine