Fred Smith

I teach courses in urban and public economics, and I also teach American economic history. My research interests reside at the intersection of these three fields of economics. I am especially interested in the forces that shape cities over time–both the forces that cause cities to grow and thrive as well as the forces that cause cities to decline. My current research, co-authored with Jason Barr from Rutgers, focuses on New York City. Our work examines the forces that have shaped America's largest and most important city over a more than 150-year time period – from the Civil War to the present day.