Seminar in Land Use, Housing and Community Development in New York City
Professors Gerecke and Salama
Readings
Fall 2012
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
Blackboard under the “Assignments” tab (items marked below as “BB”) 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. 9/5
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: New York City today (demographics and background);
Planning Visions of Moses, Jacobs and Bloomberg
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 2011:
1. Executive Summary:
http://furmancenter.org/files/sotc/Executive_Summary_11.pdf
2. Analysis of New York City Data:
http://furmancenter.org/files/sotc/New_York_City_11.pdf
Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies, “The State of the Nation’s
Housing 2011”: Executive Summary.
http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/jchs.harvard.edu/files/son2012_executive_sum
mary.pdf
9/7
Submit Paper Topic Preference Sheet to jerry.salama@nyu.edu before noon.
Paper Topics Assigned by E-mail on or before Sunday 9/9; group members
to begin contacting each other
9/10
WEEK 2: The History of Urban Planning and the Impact of Federal Policy
2

Topics: Suburbanization; Federal Housing Policy; the development of
Community Development Corporations
Jackson, Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States (1985):
116-189 and 231-245. (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://pdfserve.informaworld.com/562251_922517573_920611457.pdf
Hirsch, “Making the Second Ghetto: Race and Housing in Chicago, 1940-1960,”
(1983): 231-245 (CP)
Alinsky, Rules for Radicals (1971): 98 – 125. (CP)
Kriesberg, A 21st Century Vision for Community Development (2009),
Shelterforce:
http://www.shelterforce.org/article/1767/a_21st_century_vision_for_community_
development/P1/
9/17
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
Soffer, Ed Koch and the Rebuilding of New York, “Chapter 19: The Koch Housing
Plan (1986- 1989)” (2010): 290-304. (CP)
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, “New
Housing Market Plan” (2010): 2-12 only (7 to 17 by pdf numbering).
http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/downloads/pdf/New-Housing-market-plan.pdf
New York City Independent Budget Office, The Mayor's New Housing
Marketplace Plan: Recession, Funding Shifts, and Changing Goals Mean Fewer
New Apartments Likely to Be Built, June 2012.
http://www.ibo.nyc.ny.us/iboreports/nhmp2012.html
3
9/21
Electronic submission of outlines to professors and TA by 5:00 pm
9/24
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 10/1). 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. (BB)
10/1
WEEK 5: The Impact of U.S. Housing Finance Systems

Topics: The Development of the Mortgage Finance System and
Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs); Multifamily housing
Underwriting; Overleveraging; Single-Family Mortgage Finance and
Neighborhood Impacts

Bring two printed copies of Financial Exercise answers to class for
joint review. Do not submit electronically.
New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, New
Construction Term Sheet, Low Income Program
http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/downloads/pdf/Low-income-Term-Sheet.pdf
Jackson, Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States (1985):
Chapter 11, “Suburbanization and the American Dream,” pages 190-218.
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, “The Impact of Multifamily Foreclosures
and Over-Mortgaging in Neighborhoods in New York City,” February 2012,
pages 1- 14.
http://issuu.com/makingroom/docs/neighborhood_impacts_final_final_final_1-1012__2_ (register for free access)
4
10/5
Submit Revised Outlines electronically to all faculty members by 5:00 pm
10/8
WEEK 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.
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). (BB)
Chinese Staff and Workers Association v. City of New York, 68 N.Y.2d 359
(1986). (BB)
In re Nash Metalware Co., Inc. v. City of New York, 836 N.Y.S.2d 487
(December 21, 2006). (BB)
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). (BB)
Excerpts on BB:
1. Article 78, NYS Civil Practice Law and Rules
2. Outline Summarizing New York Environmental Quality Review
Procedure, Part 617, NYS General Regulations
Optional Reading:
Hand v. Hospital for Special Surgery, 943 N.Y.S.2d 792 (January 11, 2012). (BB)
10/15
WEEK 7: Land Use Review of Housing and Economic Development
Projects; Current Challenges in Multi-Family Housing Development

Topics: Uniform Land Use Review Process; Zoning and Rezoning;
Community Benefit Agreements as part of Rezoning; Inclusionary
Zoning; 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 BB:
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). (BB)
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
Salama, Schill, and Springer, Reducing the Cost of New Housing Construction in
New York City, Furman Center For Real Estate & Urban Policy, (2005) “Chapter
4: Availability and Cost of Vacant Land in New York City”: 31-41.
http://furmancenter.org/files/publications/NYCHousingCost2005.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.
10/22
WEEK 8: Place-based Problems and Solutions

Topics: Racial Segregation; Concentrated Poverty; Gentrification;
Public and Subsidized Housing; Economic Development
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
Jackson, Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States (1985):
Chapter 12, “Public Housing,” pages 219-230.
6
Citizen’s Committee for Children, “Concentrated Poverty in New York City,”
April 2012
http://www.cccnewyork.org/publications/CCC_Concentrated_Poverty_2012-04.pdf
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)
Wilson, “The Obama Administration’s Proposals to Address Urban Poverty,” City
& Community, Volume 9 (March 2010): 41-49. (NYU lib).
Porter, “The Comparative Advantage of the Inner City,” Harvard
Business Review, Volume 73 (May-June, 1995): 55-71. (NYU lib).
Carney, Hess and Ramos, “Taking a Hard Look: Residential Racial Segregation
in New York City, December 2011, Excerpt on (BB)
Furman Center For Real Estate & Urban Policy, State of the New York City’s
Housing and Neighborhoods 2011: The Changing Racial and Ethnic Makeup of
New York City Neighborhoods:
http://furmancenter.org/files/sotc/The_Changing_Racial_and_Ethnic_Makeup_of_New_York_City
_Neighborhoods_11.pdf
10/29
WEEK 9: People-based Problems and Solutions

Topics: Mobility and Opportunity: Jobs, Wealth Building, Dispersal
Coalition for the Homeless, “History of Modern Homelessness in New York
City.”
http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/pages/basic-facts#FACTS
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
Center for Economic Opportunity, “Replicating Our Results” Report (May 2011):
13-18 and 29-34 only.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/ceo/downloads/pdf/ceo_report_may_2011.pdf
US Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Notice of Funding
Availability for Implementation Grant: The Choice Neighborhoods,”
http://issuu.com/makingroom/docs/neighborhood_impacts_final_final_final_1-10-12__2_
7
Third bullet from the top, pages 1-5 (program summary).
11/2
Submit First Drafts of Paper by 9 a.m. (electronically)
11/5
WEEK 10: Current Topics in Land Use, Housing and Community
Development; Opportunities for National Comparative Perspectives
Topics and Readings to be determined during the semester.
11/6
Election Day
11/12
WEEK 11: Affordable Housing Case Study
Atlantic Yards
11/16
Field Trip to Brooklyn Friday 8:30 a.m.
11/19
WEEK 12: Guest Speaker
11/21
Papers for 11/26 presentations are due at 9 a.m. on 11/21. Submit electronically
to all faculty and students.
11/26
WEEK 13: Student Presentation of Final Papers
11/28
Papers for 12/3 presentations are due at 9 a.m. on 11/28. Submit electronically to
all faculty and students.
12/3
WEEK 14: Student Presentation of Final Papers, continued