Berlin offers an exceptional research environment for PhD students in Urban Economics and Quantitative Spatial Economics, with recruitment conducted through the internationally competitive PhD program of the Berlin School of Economics (BSoE) [link]. The BSoE offers two interconnected courses to PhD students: Urban Economics and Quantitative Spatial Economics. These courses are designed to be taken in sequence, with Urban Economics introducing essential frameworks, key topics, and foundational literature. The second course, Quantitative Spatial Economics, builds on this foundation, focusing on the quantification and simulation of spatial general equilibrium models. Together, they provide a comprehensive approach to understanding and applying quantitative methods in spatial economics. This curriculum is enhanced by the BQSE Research Seminar, which hosts leading spatial economists. Additionally, the BQSE work-in-progress seminar provides PhD students and early-career researchers with a platform for feedback and skill development.Â
Urban economics
Teacher: Rainald Borck
Level:
BSoE (PhD)
MSc
Term:
Winter term
Venue:
Potsdam University
Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences
The course delves into the economic mechanisms that shape cities and urban life. It explores the reasons behind city formation, the benefits and costs of urban agglomeration, and the complex dynamics of land use patterns. The course also examines urban challenges such as sprawl, housing affordability, transportation issues, and the environmental impacts of urbanization, including pollution. Furthermore, it addresses social issues within urban contexts, such as crime, segregation, and the distribution of public goods, offering insights into the policies that can manage these aspects effectively. For more information, visit the BSoE course catalog.
Quantitative spatial economics
Teacher: Gabriel M. Ahlfeldt
Level:
BSoE (PhD)
Open to ambitious MSc Econ students
Term:
Summer term
Venue:
Humboldt University
School of Business and Economics
The course covers the quantification and simulation of quantitative spatial models. This entails: i) working with spatial data to generate the necessary model inputs; ii) setting, estimating, and inverting the primitives of the model; iii) using numerical procedures to solve for the spatial general equilibrium and conduct counterfactual analysis. The course is applied in the sense that the focus is on the computational implementation of quantitative spatial models. We cover, among others, the Frisch Medal-awarded Econometrica paper "The Economics of Density: Evidence from the Berlin Wall", by Ahlfeldt, Redding, Sturm, and Wolf. For more information, vistit the BSoE course catalog or the Humboldt University Moodle course page. For selected exhibits from the course work see: [2024] [2025] .