Biography
Hans Koster (1987) is Full Professor of Urban Economics and Real Estate at the Department of Spatial Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Hans obtained his bachelor’s degree in Economics at the Erasmus University Rotterdam and his master’s degree (cum laude) in Spatial Economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He defended his Ph.D. thesis in 2013 on the economics of the spatial structure of cities. Hans is also a Research Fellow with the Tinbergen Institute, and a Research Associate with the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR).
Hans’s research concerns the economic analysis of cities, regions and the environment. His interests lie in understanding the functioning of housing and land markets, the agglomeration of firms and people within cities, the consequences of place-based policies, income inequality and segregation within cities, as well as the functioning of retail and commercial property markets within cities. Hans’s research relies on big data and the use of advanced econometric techniques.
Hans was ranked 10th in the ESB Dutch Economist Rankings in 2023, 14th in 2022, 21st in 2021 and 24th in 2020.
Teaching
Master course Applied Econometrics for Spatial Economics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Master course Urban Economic Challenges at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Bachelor course Urban Economics and Real Estate at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
B.Sc. and M.Sc. thesis supervision at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Guest lectures at IDE, the University of Moratuwa, University of Antwerp, Universiteit Utrecht, and the Universiteit Twente.
Hans holds a senior teaching qualification (Seniorkwalificatie Onderwijs).
Reviewing
Hans is associate editor at Regional Science and Urban Economics and has reviewed articles submitted to the Quarterly Journal of Economics, Journal of the European Economic Association, American Economics Journal: Applied Economics, American Economics Journal: Economic Policy, American Political Science Review, Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Urban Economics, Journal of Economic Geography, European Economic Review, Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, Transportation Research Part B, Journal of Regional Science, Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Regional Science and Urban Economics, Energy Economics, Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, Journal of Housing Economics, Southern Economic Journal, Economic Inquiry, Environment and Planning A, International Regional Science Review, Land Use Policy, Urban Studies, Regional Studies, Real Estate Research Quarterly, and De Economist.
Awards, prizes and grants
| Authors | Type | Project | Year | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koster, H.R.A. | Sakıp Sabancı International Research Award | The Welfare Effects of Greenbelt Policy: Evidence from England | 2020 | Sakıp Sabancı International Research Award |
| Cole, M.A Koster, H.R.A. Ozgen, C. | BBS Small Project Grant | The Effects of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund | 2020 | |
| Dröes, M.I. Koster, H.R.A. | Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat, Onderzoeksgrant | The Effects of Wind Turbines and Solar Farms on Housing Markets | 2019 | https://www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken/brieven_regering/detail?id=2019Z25445&did=2019D52358 |
| Koster, H.R.A. Ozgen, C. | IAS Vanguard Fellowship | Skills Mismatch and Agglomeration | 2018 | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/ias/vanguard-fellowship-programme/2018/Koster.aspx |
| Koster, H.R.A. | Journal of Economic Geography Best Referee Award | Refereeing | 2016 | http://oxfordjournals.org/our_journals/jnlecg/best_referee_award.html |
| Koster, H.R.A. Rouwendal, J. | Research grant from Academisch Fonds Vastgoedkunde | Bricks, Buildings and Boroughs | 2016 | http://www.academischfondsvastgoedkunde.nl/waaraan/toegekende-aanvragen/toegekende-aanvraag-hans-koster |
| Koster, H.R.A. | Van der Knaap Prize | The Internal Structure of Cities: The Economics of Agglomeration, Amenities and Accessibility | 2015 | http://www.khmw.nl/prijzen/prijs/van-der-knaap-prijs/11 |
| Koster, H.R.A. Van Ommeren, J.N. Rietveld, P. | Urban Land Institute Prize for Best Paper in Journal of Economic Geography | Is the Sky the Limit? High-rise Buildings and Office Rents | 2015 | http://www.oxfordjournals.org/our_journals/jnlecg/urban-land-institute-prize.html |
| Koster, H.R.A. | Veni Grant from NWO | Places, planning, prices and politics: The Welfare Economics of Urban Planning | 2014 | http://www.nwo.nl/onderzoek-en-resultaten/programmas/vernieuwingsimpuls/toekenningen/alle+veni+toekenningen/toekenningen+veni+2014 |
| Koster, H.R.A. | KVS penning, runner-up<\em> | The Internal Structure of Cities: The Economics of Agglomeration, Amenities and Accessibility | 2014 | https://www.urbaneconomics.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Juryrapport-KVS-penning-2014.pdf |
| Koster, H.R.A. | August Lösch Prize | The Internal Structure of Cities: The Economics of Agglomeration, Amenities and Accessibility | 2014 | http://www.ifr.uni-kiel.de/de/august-loesch-prize |
| Koster, H.R.A. Dericks, G. | Data-without-Boundaries Grant | Land Use Planning, Agglomeration Economies And The Office Market: Evidence From Blitz Bombings | 2014 | http://www.dwbproject.org/ |
| Koster, H.R.A. | Junior Societal Impact Award, runner-up<\em> | The Internal Structure of Cities: The Economics of Agglomeration, Amenities and Accessibility | 2013 | http://www.feweb.vu.nl/nl/nieuws-agenda/nieuwsarchief/2013-2014/koster-and-rietveld-nominated-for-societal-impact-award.asp#.U4S4_PldXTo |
| Koster, H.R.A. Sanchis-Guarner, R. | Data-without-Boundaries Grant | Job Mobility And Productivity: Are Job-Hoppers More Productive? | 2013 | http://www.dwbproject.org/ |
| Koster, H.R.A. Van Ommeren, J.N. Rietveld, P. | Graduate Student-led paper award at NARSC conference | Historic Amenities, Income and Sorting of Households | 2011 | http://www.feweb.vu.nl/en/news-agenda/news-archive/2011-2012/sergej-gubins-and-hans-koster-win-narsc-paper-competition.asp |
| Koster, H.R.A. | SER Thesis Prize | The Impact of Mixed Land Use on Residential Property Values | 2010 | http://www.ser.nl/nl/educatie/scriptieprijs_2010.aspx |
