Housing and Downtown Development

Course Description

Housing and Downtown Development analyzes the market and regulatory forces that shape housing and downtown development projects using both local and national case materials. Housing and Downtown Development provides a window into two different sectors of real estate development: residential and downtown commercial. The course includes analysis of the basic concepts and principles of housing and downtown development, a review of urban and mortgage policy in the United States, discussion of the development of urban sites and their role in shaping the urban environment, and an analysis of the relationship between public policy and finance in shaping the urban environment. Although there are no formal prerequisites, this is an advanced graduate course. Consequently, I assume that students have a general familiarity with the property development process, urban policy issues, and the basics of both finance and MS Excel. The development and management of both housing and downtown commercial buildings are heavily rooted in analytical techniques for problem analysis, projection, and evaluation, and communication of this information in public discourse. This course will ask students to analyze decisions made by housing developers and also to communicate clearly about risk and return relative to commercial projects in an urban context.

Code

RED 603

Credits

3

Subject

Planning