Seminar in Land Use, Housing and Community Development in New York City
Professors Gerecke and Salama
Readings
Fall 2014
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
https://getit.library.nyu.edu/. 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.
Wed. 9/3
4 to 5:50 pm
WEEK 1: The Roots and Consequences of Urban Distress; Introduction of
all Class Members and to Class Requirements

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 2013 http://furmancenter.org/research/sonychan
Only the following three sections:
1. Focus on Income Equality (pgs. 8 to 18)
2. Land Use and the Built Environment (pgs. 20 to 23)
3. Neighborhood Services and Conditions (pgs. 44 to 49)
Housing Commission of the Bipartisan Policy Center, “Housing America’s
Future: New Directions for National Policy,”
http://bipartisanpolicy.org/sites/default/files/BPC_Housing%20Report_web_0.pdf
Only pages 15-25
9/5
Submit Paper Topic Preference Sheet to jerry.salama@nyu.edu before noon
on Friday September 5th. Paper Topics will be assigned by E-mail on or
before Sunday 9/7; group members to begin contacting each other
2
9/8
WEEK 2: The History of Urban Planning and the Impact of Federal Policy

Topics: Suburbanization; Federal Housing Policy
Jackson, Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States (1985):
116-137 and 157-231. (book to be purchased by students).
Orlebeke, “The Evolution of Low-Income Housing Policy, 1949-1999,” in
Housing Policy Debate 11(2): 489-520. http://oied.ncsu.edu/selc/wpcontent/uploads/2013/03/Orlebeke-HPD-2000-Evolution-of-LI-HousingPolicy.pdf
9/15
WEEK 3: New York City Low-Income Housing Policies and Programs
 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.
http://furmancenter.org/files/publications/AHistoryofHousingPolicycombined060
1_000.pdf
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.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/about/Housing-New-York.shtml
9/19
Electronic submission of outlines to professors and TA by 5:00 pm
9/22
WEEK 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 Blackboard (due 9/29). Please do
the exercise individually.
3
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)
9/26
Submit Revised Outlines electronically to all faculty members by 5:00 pm
9/29
WEEK 5: The Impact of U.S. Housing Finance Systems

Topics: The Development of the Mortgage Finance System and
Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs); Single-Family Mortgage
Finance and Neighborhood Impacts; Overleveraging; Multifamily
housing Underwriting

Bring two printed copies of Financial Exercise answers to class for
joint review. Do not submit electronically.
Congressional Research Service, “Overview of the Housing Finance System in the
United States, March, 2013 https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42995.pdf.
Optional Listening: Ira Glass “This American Life” podcast
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/355/the-giant-pool-ofmoney and the follow up
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113195159
Skim again Chapter 10 “Federal Subsidy and the American Dream” pages 190218 of Crabgrass Frontier.
Hyra et al, “Metropolitan segregation and the Subprime Crisis,” in Housing Policy
Debate (2013) 23:1 177-198 (edited version on NYUC).
Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, “State of NYC’s Housing and
Neighborhoods 2010: the State of NYC Multifamily Rental Housing” (2010).
http://furmancenter.org/files/sotc/Multifamily_Rental_Housing_2010.pdf Page
18 to 24 only.
Citizens Housing and Planning Council, “Debt Threat: Saving Multifamily
Rental Housing from Zombie Mortgages,” August, 2009
http://www.chpcny.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/final-report-web-versionzombie-cover.pdf
10/6
WEEK 6: Environmental Review of Housing and Economic Development
Projects
4

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.
http://furmancenter.org/files/publications/NYCHousingCost2005.pdf
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)
Williamsburg Community Preservation Coalition v. Council of the City of New
York, 953 N.Y.S.2d 554 (May 9, 2012). (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)
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
10/13
WEEK 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)

Topics: Uniform Land Use Review Process; Zoning and Rezoning;
Community Benefit Agreements as part of Rezoning; Inclusionary
Zoning (Mandatory or Voluntary); Development of New Affordable
Housing; Preservation of Existing Affordable Housing (Expiring Use
and Fail Out/Opt Out)
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.
http://furmancenter.org/files/publications/NYCHousingCost2005.pdf
5
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).
http://furmancenter.org/files/publications/Rezonings_Furman_Center_Policy_Brie
f_March_2010.pdf
Vicki Been, “Community Benefits Agreements: A New Local Government Tool
or Another Variation on the Exactions Theme?” Furman Center for Real Estate &
Urban Policy, Working Paper 2010 (April 2010).
http://furmancenter.org/files/publications/Community_Benefits_Agreements_Wor
king_Paper.pdf
Burchell and Galley, “Inclusionary Zoning: A Viable Solution to the Affordable
Housing Crisis?”
http://www.nhc.org/media/documents/InclusionaryZoning.pdf
Furman Center for Real Estate & Urban Policy, “State of New York City’s
Subsidized Housing: 2011,”
http://furmancenter.org/files/publications/SHIPReportFinal.pdf, Pages 6-13, 15-18
and 54 only.
10/20
WEEK 8: Community Development Corporations, Organizing and Local
Economic Development
Alinsky, Rules for Radicals (1971): 98 – 125. (CP)
Gittell, Ross, Wilder, Margaret, Community Development Corporations: Critical
Factors That Influence Success, Journal of Urban Affairs, 07352166, 1999, Vol.
21, Issue 3 (1999)
http://ezproxy.library.nyu.edu:2062/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ofm&AN=51109
6384&site=ehost-live
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).
10/24
Submit First Drafts of Paper by 9 a.m. (electronically)
6
10/27
WEEK 9: Place-based Problems and Solutions

Topics: Racial Segregation; Concentrated Poverty; Gentrification
MHANY Management Inc. v. Inc. Village of Garden City, 05-CV-2301 ADS
WDW, 2013 WL 6334107 (E.D.N.Y. Dec. 6, 2013).
Crane, Randall and Manville, Michael, “People or Place?” Lincoln Institute (July
2008). http://www.community-wealth.org/_pdfs/articles-publications/crosssectoral/article-crane-manville.pdf
Florida, Richard, “The U.S. Cities Where the Poor Are Most Segregated From
Everyone Else,” March, 2014
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2014/03/us-cities-where-poorare-most-segregated/8655/
MacDonald, Graham, “A New Interactive Graphic Maps Segregation in 268
Different Metros, April 2013
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2013/04/new-interactive-graphic-chartsintegration-268-cities/5336/
11/3
WEEK 10: People-based Problems and Solutions

Topics: Mobility and Opportunity: Jobs, Wealth Building, Dispersal
Florida, “The Gentrification Puzzle: Why Does This Phenomenon Affect Some
Cities Much More Than Others?” CityLab, (Nov. 21, 2013)
http://www.citylab.com/housing/2013/11/why-some-places-gentrify-moreothers/7588/
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): 127143. (CP)
US Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Housing Choice Voucher
Program Fact Sheet.”
http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/about/fact_sheet.cfm
Turner and Popkin, “Why Housing Choice and Mobility Matter” Urban Institute
(August 17, 2010). http://www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/901374-why-choice.pdf
Coalition for the Homeless, “History of Modern Homelessness in New York
City.”
http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/pages/basic-facts#FACTS
7
Download full Moving to Opportunity Report at
http://www.huduser.org/portal/publications/pubasst/MTOFHD.html. Read
Chapter 8, pages 253 – 265.
11/4
Election Day
11/10
WEEK 11: Affordable Housing Case Study Atlantic Yards
11/14
Field Trip to Brooklyn Friday 8:30 a.m.
11/17
WEEK 12: Guest Speaker
11/19
Papers for 11/24 presentations are due at 9 a.m. on 11/19. Submit electronically
to all faculty and students.
11/24
WEEK 13: Student Presentation of Final Papers
11/27
Papers for 12/1 presentations are due at 9 a.m. on 11/26. Submit electronically to
all faculty and students.
12/1
WEEK 14: Student Presentation of Final Papers, continued