PhD advice: programs/faculty in spatial economics + how marketable is this specialization?

Hi everyone,

I’m a master’s student in Applied Economics and I’d really appreciate some guidance on PhD choices and career prospects.

My background:

• ~2 years of research experience (RA and coauthored work)

• 3 published papers so far (with 1–2 more likely next year); two of them are in relatively strong journals in my areas

• Fields so far: development economics and political economy, plus some macro

• My master’s thesis is designed to become a publishable paper

• Technical skills: comfortable with Python, R, Stata, MATLAB, and basic machine-learning methods

• I’ll be taking the GRE next week and will start applying to PhD programs this cycle and the next

New interest / question: spatial economics

I’ve recently developed a strong interest in spatial economics (e.g. spatial interactions, spatial econometrics, regional/urban/spatial equilibrium models) and I’m considering making this my main field in a PhD.

I’d love input on a few things:

1.  Programs & faculty:

• Which PhD programs (Econ or closely related fields) are particularly strong in spatial economics or spatial econometrics?

• Are there any specific faculty members or research groups you’d recommend looking into (in the US, Canada, Europe, or elsewhere)?

2.  Marketability of a spatial econ focus:

• How does a spatial-economics specialization fare on the academic job market and in non-academic roles ?

3.  Spatial econ + specific industries:

• Are there subfields or niches that combine spatial economics with the maritime industry (shipping, ports, logistics, trade routes) or the space industry (satellite data, remote sensing, space-based infrastructure)?

• If so, are there well-known researchers, centers, or labs working at these intersections?

Thanks a lot in advance for any suggestions, names, or pointers to departments and faculty I should be looking at!