Reconstructing Urban Economics : Towards a Political Economy of the Built Environment

Neoclassical Economics, The Intellectual Bedrock Of Modern Capitalism, Faces Growing Criticisms, As Many Of Its Key Assumptions And Policy Prescriptions Are Systematically Challenged. Yet, There Remains One Field Of Economics Where These Limitations Continue Virtually Unchallenged: The Study Of Cities And Regions In Built-environment Economics. In This Book, Franklin Obeng-odoom Draws On Institutional, Georgist, And Marxist Economics To Clearly But Comprehensively Show What The Key Issues Are Today In Thinking About Urban Economics. In Doing So, He Demonstrates The Widespread Tensions And Contradictions In The Status Quo, Demonstrating How To Reconstruct Urban Economics In Order To Create A More Just Society And Environment. Scaffolding The Principles And Values Of Reconstruction -- The Urban Challenge -- The Urban Economy -- Urban Economic Growth: Globalisation, Trade, And Convergence -- Informal Economies -- Urban Poverty; Socio-spatial Inequality -- Housing -- Homo Automobilus -- Sustainable Urban Development -- Conclusion: Towards A Political Economy Of The Built Environment. Franklin Obeng-odoom. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 237-273) And Index. Cover About the author Title page Copyright Contents Figures and Tables Preface Dedication Introduction: dissent and reconstruction Introduction Aims of the book Structure and roadmap of the book Part One. Establishing principles for urban progress 1. Scaffolding the principles and values of reconstruction Introduction The built environment and urban economics Institutional political economy General guiding framework for the rest of the book Conclusion 2. The urban challenge Introduction Formation of cities Institutionalist, Marxist, and Georgist assessments of urban growth and urban systems Conclusion 3. The urban economy Introduction Economic base/basic, non-basic A neoclassical urban economic anatomy and spatial microeconomics A Marxist urban economics approach The framing of the urban economy used for this book Conclusion Part Two. Analysing material conditions in cities 4. Urban economic growth: globalisation, trade, and convergence Introduction The spatial economy: cities, international trade, and globalisation Institutions, globalisation, and cities Urban economic growth, distribution, and employment Conclusion 5. Informal economies Introduction Informal economy: the concept Work experiences in informal economies The causes of the informal economy: dualism, legalism, or structuralism? The real informal economies Moving forward: the state, revolution, consensus, or challenge? Conclusion 6. Urban poverty; socio-spatial inequality Introduction Mainstream ‘theories’ about the causes of urban poverty Growth that is neither employment-generating nor poverty-reducing Symptoms of poverty; culture of poverty Socio-spatial inequality and land economy Institutions of capitalism Routes less travelled Conclusion Part Three. Creating a socio-ecologically sensitive future 7. Housing Introduction Demand-side and supply-side reformist policies (Mis)conceptualisations and limitations of demand and supply-side housing policies The right to adequate housing Conclusion 8. Homo automobilus (Re)conceptualising housing: housing markets and housing systems Introduction The case for automobility Questioning automobility On the road to change: post automobility? Conclusion 9. Sustainable urban development Introduction Sustainable development: a review of the dominant views Political economic perspectives Georgism: systemic redistribution and comprehensive socio-ecological spending Conclusion Conclusion: towards a political economy of the built environment Managing the city economy: towards the good city References Index "Neoclassical economics, the intellectual bedrock of modern capitalism, faces growing criticisms, as many of its key assumptions and policy prescriptions are systematically challenged. Yet, there remains one field of economics where these limitations continue virtually unchallenged: the study of cities and regions in built-environment economics. In this book, Franklin Obeng-Odoom draws on institutional, Georgist, and Marxist economics to clearly but comprehensively show what the key issues are today in thinking about urban economics. In doing so, he demonstrates the widespread tensions and contradictions in the status quo, demonstrating how to reconstruct urban economics in order to create a more just society and environment."--Back cover. Neoclassical economics, the intellectual bedrock of modern capitalism, faces growing criticisms, as many of its key assumptions and policy prescriptions are systematically challenged. Yet, there remains one field of economics where these limitations continue virtually unchallenged: the study of cities and regions in built-environment economics.In this book, Franklin Obeng-Odoom draws on institutional, Georgist and Marxist economics to clearly but comprehensively show what the key issues are today in thinking about urban economics. In doing so, he demonstrates the widespread tensions and contradictions in the status quo, showing how to reconstruct urban economics in order to create a more just society and environment. Neoclassical economics, the intellectual bedrock of modern capitalism, faces growing criticisms, as many of its key assumptions and policy prescriptions are systematically challenged. Yet, there remains one field of economics where these limitations continue virtually the study of cities and regions in built-environment economics. In this book, Franklin Obeng-Odoom draws on institutional, Georgist and Marxist economics to clearly but comprehensively show what the key issues are today in thinking about urban economics. In doing so, he demonstrates the widespread tensions and contradictions in the status quo, showing how to reconstruct urban economics in order to create a more just society and environment.