Project Appraisal in Developing Countries for Urban Planning

Evaluating public and private projects in rapidly growing cities requires a unique set of analytical tools. Traditional financial analysis alone cannot capture the social, environmental, and economic impacts of urban development in emerging economies. This comprehensive text-based course guides you through the modern methodologies used to assess, plan, and execute high-impact urban projects. You will start by mastering foundational economic principles, cost-benefit analysis, and social discount rates, before moving into modern frameworks like climate resilience integration and stakeholder trade-off analysis. What you'll learn: Understand the core principles of economic and social cost-benefit analysis for public infrastructure; Apply valuation techniques to measure non-market environmental and social impacts; Analyze project risk and uncertainty using modern sensitivity and scenario planning frameworks; Evaluate how urban projects affect different income groups and stakeholders; Integrate climate resilience and sustainability metrics into early-stage project designs. The course begins with essential terminology and the conceptual foundations of welfare economics, then guides you step-by-step through practical evaluation frameworks and real-world urban planning scenarios. This course is designed for beginning urban planners, development practitioners, and public policy students who want to master project appraisal without needing a prior background in advanced economics. Start building the analytical skills to design projects that deliver lasting social and economic value.