Economic Geography

General

• Code: 203
• Semester: 2nd
• Study Level: Undergraduate
• Course type: General Background
• Teaching and exams language: Greek
• Teaching Methods (Hours/Week): Lectures and Practice work (3)
• ECTS Units: 5
• Exams Schedule:
  • 03/09/2024, 18:00 - 20:00: Κορωναίου

Course Contents

1. The spatial dimensions of economic activity.
2. Concentrations of economic activity on a national (urban centers), local and global scale.
3. Concentration and inequality in national and consolidated economies.
4. New growth theory and new international trade theory.
5. Economic theories of space: urban and regional economic.
6. Marshallian regional externalities and regional specialization: industrial and technological clusters and urban agglomerations in the US and the EU.
7. Inter-industry trade, international investment flows and the division of labour: the role of multinational enterprises and regional trade associations.
8. The theoretical framework of the new economic geography: internal and external economies of scale, transport costs and market size as determinants of business establishment in space.
9. Examples of the new economic geography: concentration-dispersion of enterprises, with multiple equilibrium points, in conditions of imperfect competition and economic integration.
10. Effects on the welfare level of the regions.
11. Political components of economic geography.
12. Economic globalization in the light of economic geography.
13. The contribution of the new economic geography to economic theory and policy.

Educational Goals

This course aims to introduce students to the study of the geography of economic activities. The purpose is to present the spatial dimension of economic activity with the approach of new economic geography. New economic geography includes a general equilibrium theoretical framework in which the interplay of internal and external economies of scale, transport costs and market size, and increasing economic integration, altogether lead to concentration of industrial production in a region.

Upon successful completion of the course, the students will:

• Understand the application of basic principles of economics in space.
• Distinguish between the geographical dimensions of economic activities, the processes of industrialization and mass production in their spatial contexts, the theories of business location and those of balanced and uneven spatial development.
• Be able to collect, analyze, evaluate and present statistical data on the geography of the productive sectors in Greece and Europe.

General Skills

• Working independently.
• Team work.
• Decision-making.
• Production of free, creative and inductive thinking.

Teaching Methods

• In the classroom, face to face.

Use of ICT means

• Basic software (windows, word, power point, the web, etc.).
• Support of learning process through the electronic platform / e-class.

Teaching Organization

Students Evaluation

Written final exams that may include:

• Judgemental questions.
• Short answer questions.
• Comparative evaluation of theory elements.
• True/False and multiple choice Questions.
• Application exercises.

In each question, corresponding evaluation points are specified.
Optional assignment (Essay writing) corresponds to 40% of the final grade.

Recommended Bibliography

1. Καραβέλη Ελένη, «Περιφερειακές Ανισότητες και Νέα Οικονομική Γεωγραφία», Ο.Π.Α., Αθήνα, 2016.
2. Λαμπριανίδης Λόης, «Οικονομική Γεωγραφία», Εκδόσεις Πατάκη, Αθήνα 2012.
3. Γιώτη-Παπαδάκη Όλγα, «Εισαγωγή στην Οικονομική Γεωγραφία», Εκδόσεις Κριτική, Αθήνα 2011.

Related Research Journals

1. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society.
2. Economic Geography.
3. Journal of Economic Geography.