The School of Economic Development focuses on the economies and economic transitions of urban settlements and regions, and understanding economic flows and networks across urban and rural places. The urban economy makes up two-thirds of the current global economy and in a few decades, will be more than three-fourths. Much of this economic growth will come from urban regions in Asia and Africa. The School draws upon and brings together work from a range of disciplines including management and finance, economics, area studies, sociology, anthropology, development studies, and gender studies to build theory, develop pedagogy, and inform practice and policy on the urban and regional economy, and economic development.
Teaching within the School will include courses across on the urban economy, disciplinary courses in urban economics and political economy, as well as a range of courses on the key focus areas listed below. Within the degree programmes of the proposed IIHS IOE, the School will be the primary location for the Economic Development concentration, and will co-anchor the Human Development, Planning, Urban Management and Land and Housing concentrations along with other Schools.