Inclusive Economic Development

This course examines the foundations and applications of sustainable economic growth, with an emphasis on public value, development finance, inequality, and place-based policy.

Students engage with theoretical and empirical frameworks to understand how cities and regions generate long-term prosperity, build productive capabilities, and address structural disparities in economic opportunity.

Particular attention is given to the intersection of theory and implementation, exploring how ideas in economic development and public policy translate into actionable strategies within complex institutional and political environments.

Through an experiential, project-based format, students work in teams to design a comprehensive economic growth strategy for a selected city, integrating analytical frameworks with real-world constraints and stakeholder considerations.

The course culminates in a final project that synthesizes conceptual insights and applied approaches to advance inclusive, resilient, and sustainable economic development.

This course is associated with frameworks originally created through the Bloomberg Center for Cities with Harvard University.

As such, students will have the opportunity to engage with the Center, either through an in-person session hosted at the Bloomberg Center for Cities or other methods.