The Department of Economics at the University of Nevada, Reno is an ''idea place,'' and seeks to become an increasingly creative and valuable resource as it conducts teaching, research, and service activities.Because economic growth tends to be uneven, rural areas often face major challenges to their development efforts. Urban and regional economics is the study of urban areas or regions based on the consideration of space, transportation cost, and location in production and consumption decisions. This field includes a wide variety of topics, including the migration of labor, the macroeconomic activity in communities, cities, counties and states, and the location choices of firms. Program coursework provides students with the economic tools and techniques needed to understand urban and regional economic development and improve decision-making by citizens and local communities.