Time/date: M-W-F 12:10-1:00pm (subject to negotiation: M & W 12:10-2:00pm)

Location: 111 East Hall

Prof. Maureen Kilkenny 294-6259 181 Heady Hall office hours: M-W 4:00-5:30pm or by appt.

kilkenny@iastate.edu

http://www.econ.iastate.edu/classes/econ576/kilkenny

Description: Methods of analysis of location choice by firms, employees, and households emphasizing the role of spatial variations in agglomeration economies, scale economies, distance, transport, endowments, amenities, and local government. Models of establishment location, spatial pricing, migration, land use, agglomeration versus dispersion in general equilibrium, territorial policy effects. Techniques of model building, hypothesis testing, discrete choice analysis, statistical analysis of categorical data, and interregional computable general equilibrium modeling.

Objectives: (1) To learn how to identify optimal locations; (2) to understand the dependence of economic outcomes on spatial configurations (and why some places thrive but others don’t); (3) to understand the dependence of human geography on economic processes and policies, (4) to learn how to use and conduct economic research, (5) to practice posing and testing hypotheses, (6) to develop technical skills by analyzing spatial data using software such as STATA, ArcViewGIS, SpaceStat, GeoDa, GAMS, LIMDEP, SAS or other software.

Prerequisites: Economics 501 (microeconomic theory) or consent of instructor. Participants need to be able to solve constrained optimization problems that may not have interior solutions. Participants without an economics, statistics, engineering, operations research, or math background are definitely welcome, but should consider enrolling on a P/NP basis.

Requirements: Grades will be based on the research paper (30%), midterm exam (30%), final exam (30%), class presentations and other assignments (10%).

Research Paper: Each student will prepare a research paper for the course. Specific topics are to be chosen by February 25 in consultation with the professor. Students must pose and test at least one hypothesis. The empirical test should rely on either spatial cross-section data, or time-series data, and a minimum of 30 observations. Completed drafts are presented to class during the last two weeks of the term. Finished papers are due May 27 (a few weeks after final exams).

References: In this course we read a select set of the best journal articles in depth, then write one. The reading list grows as the semester proceeds, in the direction of the particular class’s term paper topic interests. Required readings are listed on the calendar, and must be read before the lectures.