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Readings
Fall 2015
Set forth below are the readings for the class. One coursepack and one book (Jackson, Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States (1985)) should be purchased at the Professional Bookstore. Aside from Crabgrass, the remaining course materials are either available (1) in the coursepack to be purchased (items marked below as “CP”), (2) on NYU Classes under the “Assignments” tab (items marked below as “NYUC”) organized in folders by class date, (3) where URLs are provided below, directly from the internet, or (4) through the NYU Library website (items marked below as “NYU Lib”) at . The library readings can be accessed by entering the journal title, selecting one of the databases from the list provided and by searching within the correct year and volume of the journal. To access articles through the NYU Library website from off-campus computers, you will need to enter your NYU NetID and password.
Mon 8/31WEEK 1: Introductions; The Roots and Consequences of Urban Distress. Last day to drop (by midnight)
- Topics: Planning Visions of Moses, Jacobs and Bloomberg; The Urban Environment in Context; New York City today (demographics and background).
Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961): 152-77. (CP)
Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York (1975): 850-94. (CP)
Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, State of the New York City’s Housing and Neighborhoods 2014Part 2: State of Residents: Demographics, Income, Well-Being (pages 42- 50 only) accessible from:
Part 3: NYC Data (pages 66 – 67) accessible from:
And also Part 3: State of New Yorkers (page 68) accessible from:
Housing Commission of the Bipartisan Policy Center, “Housing America’s Future: New Directions for National Policy,”
Only pages 15-25
9/2Submit Paper Topic Preference Sheet to before noon on Wednesday September 2nd. Paper Topics will be assigned by E-mail on or before Friday 9/4; group members to begin contacting each other.
Thurs9/3WEEK 2: The History of Urban Planning and the Impact of Federal Policy
Special Makeup 6 to 7:50
- Topics: Suburbanization; Federal Housing Policy;The Roots of Community Development
Jackson, Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States (1985): 116-137 and 157-231. (book to be purchased by students).
Von Hoffman,“Towards a New Vision of Community Development”pdf pages 1 – 34 (
9/7Labor Day—no class
Fri 9/11WEEK 3: New York City Low-Income Housing Policies and Programs
Special Makeup 4 to 5:50
- Topics: New York City History; Program Structure; Supply/Demand; Capital/Operating Subsidies
Mahler, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Policies, and the Battle for the Soul of a City (2005): 206-234. (CP)
Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, “Housing Policy in New York City: A Brief History,” Working Paper 06-01.
Gerecke and Murphy, “Directory of New York City Housing Programs, Understanding Affordable Housing.”(NYUC).
The City of New York, “Housing New York: A Five-Borough, Ten-Year Plan,” Executive Summary and Introduction, pgs. 5 to 27 only.
9/14Rosh Hashanah—no class
9/18Electronic submission of outlines to professors and TA by 12 noon.
9/21WEEK 4: Understanding Project Housing Finance
- Topics: Project Pro Formas; Development Budgets; Income/Expenses; and the Impact of Public Subsidies
- Student Presentations of Projects
- Financial Exercise is available on NYUC (due 9/28). Please do the exercise individually.
Miller and Geltner, Real Estate Principles for the New Economy: “Chapter 14 - Cash Flow” (2005): 289-303 only. (CP)
DeGiovanni et al., Bank-Ability: A Practical Guide to Real Estate Financing for Nonprofit Developers (1996): 11-20, 49-69.(NYUC)
9/25Submit Revised Outlines electronically to all faculty members by 12 noon
9/28WEEK 5: The Impact of U.S. Housing Finance Systems
- Topics: Residential Mortgage Finance and Neighborhood Impacts; Homeownership Policy; Multifamily Housing Underwriting
- Bring two printed copies of Financial Exercise answers to class for joint review. Do not submit electronically.
REQUIRED READING:
Congressional Research Service, “Overview of the Housing Finance System in the United States, March, 2013
Citizens Housing and Planning Council, “Debt Threat: Saving Multifamily Rental Housing from Zombie Mortgages,” August, 2009 pages 7-20 only
Evidence Matters: Paths to Homeownership for Minority and Low-Income Families (HUD: 2012). Edited version in NYUC.
OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENTS:
Ira Glass “This American Life” podcast and the follow up
NYU Furman Center State of New York City’s Neighborhoods 2014: Homeownership. State of Homeowners and Their Homes (pp 30 – 35) Accessible from:
Dan and Teri’s Mortgage: NYUC.
10/5WEEK 6: Environmental Review of Housing and Economic Development Projects
- Topics: City Environmental Quality Review Process
Salama, Schill, and Springer, Reducing the Cost of New Housing Construction in New York City, Furman Center For Real Estate & Urban Policy, (2005) “Chapter 6: Environmental Regulation,” pps. 49-57.
Excerpts on NYUC:
1. Article 78, NYS Civil Practice Law and Rules
2. Outline Summarizing New York Environmental Quality Review Procedure, Part 617, NYS General Regulations
H.O.M.E.S. v. New York State Urban Development Corp., 69 A.D.2d 222 (App. Div. 4th Dep’t 1979). (NYUC)
Chinese Staff and Workers Association v. City of New York, 68 N.Y.2d 359 (1986). (NYUC)
Chinese Staff and Workers Association, et. al.v. Amanda Burden, et. al.2010 NY Slip Op 50804U; 27 Misc. 3d 1219A; 910 N.Y.S.2d 761. (April 19, 2010). (NYUC)
Association for Community Reform Now v. Bloomberg, 13 Misc. 3d 1209(A), 824 N.Y.S.2d 752, 2006 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2471, 2006 NY Slip Op 51750(U) (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2006) (NYUC)
10/12WEEK 7: Land Use Review of Housing and Economic Development Projects; Current Challenges in Multi-Family Housing Development
(Special Class for Wagner School students to attend on Columbus Day)
- Topics: Uniform Land Use Review Process; Zoning and Rezoning; Inclusionary Zoning (Mandatory or Voluntary); Development of New Affordable Housing; Preservation of Existing Affordable Housing (Expiring Use and Fail Out/Opt Out); Rent Stabilization
Salama, Schill, and Springer, Reducing the Cost of New Housing Construction in New York City, Furman Center For Real Estate & Urban Policy, (2005) “Chapter 7: Zoning Regulation and Land Use Review Process” pps. 59-67.
Excerpts on NYUC:
1. Article 20, NYS General City Law
2. Outline Summarizing New York City Charter, Section 197-c
Ocean Hill Residents Assn v. City of New York, 33 Misc. 3d 792 (November 22, 2011). (NYUC)
Furman Center for Real Estate & Urban Policy, Policy Brief, “How Have Recent Rezonings Affected the City’s Ability to Grow?” (March 2010).
Smith, Stephen, “City Planning Unveils Full East New York Rezoning Details: 7,250 New Homes Expected by 2030,” New York Yimby.com Feb. 5, 2015.
The Gothamist, “Is East New York the Next Bushwick?” July 22, 2014.
Burchell and Galley, “Inclusionary Zoning: A Viable Solution to the Affordable Housing Crisis?”
Citizens Budget Commission, “Rent Regulation: Beyond the Rhetoric,” June 2010, Executive Summary only (pages 4 through 8).
Furman Center for Real Estate & Urban Policy, Fact Brief, “Profile of Rent-Stabilized Units and Tenants in New York City,” June 2014.
10/19WEEK 8: Community Development Corporations, Organizing and Local Economic Development
- Topics: Community Organizing; Businesses Owned/Managed by CDC’s or Members of Low-income Communities
Von Hoffman, “Towards a New Vision of Community Development,”pdf pages 34 – 45
Alinsky, Rules for Radicals(1971): 98 – 125. (CP)
Salama and Ducey,“The New York City Venture Fund Initiative,” from the Roberts Economic Development Foundation, “The Venture Fund Initiative,” pages 50-62 (1998). (CP)
Porter, “The Comparative Advantage of the Inner City,” Harvard
Business Review, Volume 73 (May-June, 1995): 55-71. (NYU lib).
10/23Submit First Drafts of Paper by 9 a.m. (electronically)
10/26WEEK 9: Place-based Problems and Solutions
- Topics: Racial Segregation; Concentrated Poverty; Gentrification
Crane, Randall and Manville, Michael, “People or Place?” Lincoln Institute (July 2008).
Rothstein, “The Urban Poor Shall Inherit Poverty” (2014)
Newman, “The Right to Stay Put, Revisited: Gentrification and Resistance to Displacement in New York City,” Urban Studies,January 200643:23-57
Kelly, “Staying in the ‘Hood: Community Relocation as a Centerpiece for the Next Generation of Urban Revitalization” in Margery Turner et al Public Housing and the Legacy of Segregation, The Urban Institute Press (2009): 127-143. (CP)
MHANY Management Inc. v. Inc. Village of Garden City, 05-CV-2301 ADS WDW, 2013 WL 6334107 (E.D.N.Y. Dec. 6, 2013).
11/2WEEK 10: People-based Problems and Solutions
- Topics: Mobility and Opportunity: Jobs, Wealth Building, Dispersal
HUD, The Edge“Economic Mobility: Measuring the American Dream,” accessible at
US Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Housing Choice Voucher Program Fact Sheet.”
Coalition for the Homeless, “History of Modern Homelessness in New York City.”
Download full Moving to Opportunity Report at Read Chapter 8, pages 253 – 265.
11/09WEEK 11: Affordable Housing Case StudyAtlantic Yards
11/13Field Trip to Brooklyn Friday 8:30 a.m.
11/16WEEK 12: Guest Speaker
11/18Papers for 11/23 presentations are due at 9 a.m. on 11/18. Submit electronically
to all faculty and students.
11/23WEEK 13: Student Presentation of Final Papers
11/26Papers for 11/30 presentations are due at 9 a.m. on 11/25. Submit electronically toall faculty and students.
11/30 WEEK 14: Student Presentation of Final Papers, continued