Urban Policy, Politics, and Public Servi

Urban Pol & Public Servic

Policy plus politics equals governance. Good governance requires knowledgeable, ethical, and committed public servants—whether elected, appointed, or serving through nonprofits and NGOs—who can lead with vision, provide services, and uphold public trust. This course explores the motivations, responsibilities, and career pathways in public service, with a focus on real-world challenges at the local, state, and federal levels.

Taught by the Honorable Michael A. Nutter, former Mayor of Philadelphia and past President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the course draws on his experience in office and across national public leadership roles. Students will examine how individuals and institutions shape policy decisions around education, housing, transportation, healthcare, and more, especially in moments of crisis.

The course is structured in three phases: Municipal Administration; Stakeholders, Political Parties, and Ethics; and Implementing Innovation and Transformative Policy. It encourages students to reflect on their own paths into public service.

• W 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Michael A Nutter
  Info
• 3 points

Urban Economics

More than 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas, which generate nearly 90 percent of the nation’s GDP. This course introduces the field of urban economics, which explores why cities exist, how they grow, and the economic forces that shape them.

The course begins by examining the distribution of people and firms across space and the incentives behind urban location decisions. It then turns to how housing and production activities are arranged within cities, how land is valued, and how it is allocated. The course also addresses the role of local government, including the provision of services, regulation, and municipal finance.

Selected topics such as housing, transportation, income inequality, segregation, and urban sustainability help students apply theoretical and empirical models to real policy challenges. By the end of the course, students will be able to interpret urban economic models, evaluate policies using efficiency and equity frameworks, and apply their knowledge to a specific issue in urban policy.

• T 7:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• Instructor: Francesco Brindisi
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 3 points

Comparative Urban Policy

Studying not just global cities such as New York, London, and Tokyo, but especially developing global cities like Rio de Janeiro, Cairo, Jakarta, Dubai, Shanghai, and Mumbai, has never been more important. Over half of the world’s population is now urban, and twelve of the world’s sixteen largest cities are outside of the “affluent core” (i.e. Western Europe, the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand). As developing cities continue to expand, we must acknowledge the critical role that they play as sociocultural centers and as nodes in the world economy. We should also recognize that, in spite of these cities’ conspicuous differences, many of them share a set of challenges including: sprawl, poor sanitation, poverty, inequality, pollution, corruption, and crime. This course in comparative urban policy will help you develop a keener understanding of these challenges while also introducing you to some innovative solutions.

Our focus will be on how academics and analysts study and debate urban policy. Global developing cities will serve as the central geopolitical context for our discussion on governance strategies. We will explore questions such as: What political strategies do citizens have available to influence their city governments? Are the structures of governance in developing cities designed to respond to citizens’ needs? How do governments redistribute resources and responsibilities from federal to regional and local institutions to balance urban growth and social equity? How do governments and the private sector respond to the need for infrastructure and social services? What are the problems with publicly vs. privately operated infrastructure and services? What is the role of local institutions and civil society in addressing problems of the slums and housing crises caused by heightened urban growth? How do urban governments and private actors prevent center city decay? Who benefits from mega-projects? What sort of innovations can help improve service delivery, ensure environmental sustainability, and promote orderly growth in developing cities? How do governments, international organizations, and social movements impact urban policies to resolve problems of segregation, displacement, and economic inequality?

• R 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Vojislava Filipcevic
  Info
• 3 points

Seminar in Urban Politics and Policy

S. Urban Politics and Pol

All public policy occurs within a political context. The purpose of this seminar is to examine how politics impacts policy in America’s large cities. While we rely on case material from American cities, the theoretical frameworks, problems, and policy solutions we consider are relevant to understanding public policy in any global city.

Cities are not legal entities defined in the American Constitution. Yet, historically, they have developed a politics and policymaking process that at once seems archetypically American and strangely foreign. We will consider who has power in cities and how that impacts policy priorities; whether America’s traditional institutions of representation “work” for urban America; how the city functions within our federal system; and whether neighborhood democracy is a meaningful construct. We will also consider the impact of politics on urban policymaking. Can cities solve the myriad problems of their populations under existing institutional arrangements? How are cities being affected by the post-pandemic work-from-home economy? Do the economic and social factors that impact urban politics and policy limit a city’s capacity to find and implement solutions to urban problems? How has increasing income inequality and persistent racial discrimination impacted urban governance and policy making? Does political protest result in changes in urban policy? Finally, can urban politics be restructured to better address problems of inequity and racial justice. Do cities have a viable economic future in post-pandemic America?

• M 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Ester Fuchs
  CULPA: 4 Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Cities in U.S. Federalism: Policy Innova

Cities can and do develop innovative policies to address problems and respond to residents. Recent examples include ordinances involving workers’ rights, LGBTQ rights, and environmental regulation. However, local policies are regularly overturned by state legislatures and courts. Cities are constrained by state and federal policies and laws, as well as by local voters and taxpayers.

This course explores the ways in which the dynamics of American federalism influence public policy and policymaking in U.S. cities. We will review how cities fit into the U.S. federal system and examine both city-state and city-federal relations. To better understand the real-world impact of federalism, we will focus on specific policy domains, including fiscal policy and budgeting, zoning and land use, employment, the environment, and drug addiction.

• T 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Patricia A Kirkland
  Info
• 3 points

Housing Policy and the City

This seven-week course considers the impact of housing policy on communities and neighborhoods across the United States. We will discuss how local, state, and federal decisions about what we build, where we build, who we build for, and how we pay for it has created the cities we live in today. The course will draw examples from small to large American cities and urban areas to examine the social, political, and economic forces that have shaped housing policy in the U.S. Given the time constraints, the course will focus on the American landscape; however, the material can be viewed through the prism of how government decisions impact the urban environment across the globe. Students are encouraged to share comparative perspectives of their own home cities and experiences in class discussions.

• R 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: Annika N Lescott
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• 1.5 points

Comparative Social Welfare Policy

This course explores welfare systems from a comparative perspective and analyzes the political, economic, socio-cultural, and historical factors that shape and sustain them in various parts of the world.  It pays particular attention to the development of key national social welfare policies, such as social security, health care, unemployment insurance, social assistance, public employment and training, and emerging best practices and challenges in these areas.  The course also analyzes pressing global/regional trends (e.g., greying of societies, labor market stratification, social innovation, and working poverty).

• T 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Yumiko T Shimabukuro
  Info
• 3 points

Social Policy in the United States: Equi

Social Policy in the US

This seminar explores U.S. social policy across education, housing, health, poverty, and economic development. With a practitioner orientation, the course emphasizes policy design, implementation, equity, and evaluation. Students learn to produce actionable policy briefs and proposals grounded in evidence, institutions, and political real-world contexts.

• T 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Ashley R Macquarrie-Tomey
  Info
• 3 points