Urban Planning 538:  Economic Development Planning  Winter 2013 Assignments last updated Friday, April 19, 2013 0:03 AM

Prof. Scott Campbell (home page) College of Architecture and Urban Planning University Of Michigan sdcamp@umich.edu office:  2225C A&AB (734) 763-2077

Students are expected to complete all the required readings before the scheduled class time, actively participate in class discussions and presentations, and prepare several written assignments over the semester.  Evaluation of your work will be based on substantive content, analytical rigor, and writing quality.  Be sure to follow appropriate citation guidelines in all your work. Late assignments will result in point reductions. Assignments consist of several short analytical essays, two presentations, and a take-home exam (consisting of a 6-7 page essay).

Assignments and deadlines	Format	Date posted	Date due	Percent of Grade
Essay/Analysis #1	5-6 pages	Jan 28	Feb 13	20%
Essay/Analysis #2	5-6 pages	Mar 12	Wednesday, Apr 3	20%
presentation (groups of 2-3) - each student does two [sign-up sheet]	20 minutes		[scheduled throughout the semester]	15% * 2 = 30%
Take-home Final Exam (questions handed out April 22)	6-7 pages	Apr 22	April 29 (12:00 noon)	25%
Class participation				5%

Format and Style Guidelines (READ CAREFULLY):

Essay/Analysis #1 (due Feb 13)

Answer ONE of the questions below. Read the instructions above about format and style. Use class readings to support your argument. (Feel free to refer to other sources as well.) Page length: 5-6 pages (not counting the bibliography).

1. development vs. growth: Planners often assert that they are promoting local and regional economic "development," not just "growth." That distinction sounds appealing, but what does it actually mean? Begin by defining and differentiating growth and development, and examine the implications of this distinction for economic planning efforts. What exactly (e.g., jobs, income, city size, etc.) is being "grown" vs. "developed"?
2. connections between city form and local economies: Douglas Rae argues that the specific form of "urbanism" found in New Haven in the late 1800s and early 1900s is gone. In your essay, concisely define this form of urbanism, outline the factors leading to its decline, and examine the links between the urban form (the fine-grained, close-knit streetscapes of housing, retail and industry) and the structure of the local economy. Should we lament the loss of this type of urbanism, or does it only seem nostalgically appealing in hindsight?
3. Silicon Valley: Many other communities around the country and globe have sought to emulate the Silicon Valley model of a dynamic, affluent high-tech region. In your essay, address two (interrelated) questions: (1) To what extent was Silicon Valley the result of a planned, organized effort (by either public and/or private interests) to build a high-tech region? (2) Does Silicon Valley represent a replicable model of regional development (or is it instead an exceptional, one-off occurrence)?

Essay/Analysis #2 (due Wednesday, Apr 3) REVISED DATE

Answer ONE of the questions below. Read the instructions above about format and style. Use class readings to support your argument. (Feel free to refer to other sources as well.) Where useful, use the case studies from class readings (e.g., Detroit, Berlin, Garden City, Shanghai, Chicago, etc.) as examples. Page length: 5-6 pages (not counting the bibliography).

1. One hears a lot of talk about the benefits of resilience for a city or regional economy. But what does "resilience" actually mean? (For example, how might it be linked to other characteristics of the city, such as diversification, robustness, capital, linkages, capacity, wealth, civil society, social justice, markets, etc.?) And if resilience is a beneficial characteristic of a local/regional economy, how do you promote resilience in a community?
2. What are the distinctive economic benefits and challenges for a community heavily dependent on defense contracting? How do these dynamics compare to those in communities dominated by a single company or sector that sells to the civilian sector?
3. Economic diversification and clustering have been two reoccurring themes in the course discussions and readings. Define each term and explain the relevance for local and regional economic development. Are these beneficial traits? Are they compatible, or is there a tension between aiming for a diversified local economy and also promoting clusters?
4. The economic and fiscal woes of shrinking cities are well-known. But what about cities that grow quickly: can you actually have too much of a good thing (growth)? Examine the advantages and challenges of rapidly growing cities. How might the type of sectoral growth (e.g., primary sectors, manufacturing, retail or commercial trade, services, tourism, real estate, etc.) and occupational distribution affect the relative costs and benefits of rapid growth? What policies might a city or region implement to best handle this rapid expansion?

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Take-Home Essay/Final Exam (due April 29, 12:00 noon)

This is a take-home essay exam. Your answers are due no later than 12:00 noon, Monday, April 29. (Return the answers to my mailbox or slip them under my office door: 2225C A&AB.)  You may refer to books, articles, class notes and readings. However, you are not to discuss this exam with others. Please structure your essay carefully (i.e., think and outline your argument before you write), and illustrate with brief examples where necessary. Be sure to answer each part of the question.  Refer to the class readings where appropriate. (If you use direct quotes, place the material inside quotation marks and provide a citation, including the page number. Even if you just summarize material, be sure to cite. See my web page on writing & citation formats.)  You will be graded based on your knowledge of the material; the logic, structure and thoughtfulness of your argument; and the fit between the question and your answer. Your answers are short, so be concise; get to the point quickly. Avoid restating platitudes and truisms; instead, strive for analytical rigor (and don't be afraid to note contradictions where necessary). Be sure your answer is double-spaced, with page numbers, and a single staple. Good luck! 

Answer one of the following [page limit: 6 - 7 pages, double-spaced, not counting the bibliography]

1. The use of public monies and public institutions to promote private enterprise in the public interest raises complex and at times unsettling questions about the proper role of economic development planning. Using class readings, examine the arguments for and against local economic development planning from at least two perspectives, such as its effectiveness, its legitimacy, its distributional outcomes, its impact on entrepreneurship/innovation, and/or its ethics. Where appropriate, cite examples (e.g., stadiums, arts facilities, casinos, Wal-Mart, etc.). Differentiate between ideological, logical and empirical arguments. Provide clear reasoning to support your argument (this applies to all questions here).
2. The authors of the course readings have emphasized a wide variety of (sometimes conflicting) elements that may be crucial to creating and sustaining a healthy local economy: a friendly business climate; agglomeration economies; a good offering of local amenities to attract a highly educated workforce; low-cost labor and land; a tight network of innovative firms; aggressive economic development tools (e.g., IRBs, TIFs); proximity to universities, research parks, airports, etc.; active neighborhood-based involvement; protectionism; free-trade; to name just a few. Categorize the major themes and policies discussed in this course by defining and contrasting three or four different schools of local economic development thought (here, a "school of thought" ≈ a shared approach based on similar assumptions about how the local economy works and how to intervene). Explain the basic assumptions, beliefs and favored policy tools of each school, and cite at least several articles and/or authors (from class readings) as examples of each school. (If you use existing typologies found in the readings, don't simply replicate them in your essay. Instead, cite these sources, critique their typologies, and develop your own system of classification.)
3. Place marketing emerged as a central theme of this economic development course. For some, this emergence of place marketing is a logical and inevitable development of the late-capitalist, post-industrial era and its emphasis on culture, symbols, advertising images, tourism, mass-media, amenity-driven development, attracting the high-tech class, etc. Yet others might be skeptical of this pre-occupation with place marketing, arguing instead for "a return to the basics" in local economic development (that is, focusing on concrete, tangible factors such as infrastructure, education and training, tax rates, land development barriers, productivity, etc.) In your essay, examine this tension. (For example, is it the tension between appearance and reality? façade and structure? "soft" versus "hard" locational factors? the "old economy" vs. the "new economy"? or something else?) Briefly discuss the historical evolution of place marketing in local economic development (i.e., is it something new, or has it always been a part of economic development strategies? How has it changed over time?) What is the role of specific buildings and neighborhoods (e.g., museums, stadiums, waterfront developments, shopping streets, skyscrapers, etc.) in place marketing? In the end, what do you think is the appropriate role of place marketing in economic development?
4. American-style economic development strategies are often applied to other parts of the world — sometimes with success, and sometimes quite inappropriately with unexpected outcomes (due to radically different regulatory contexts, labor markets, tax systems, social customs, etc). Select at least three economic development strategies discussed in class (for example, enterprise zones, research parks, tax increment financing, university-based technology transfer). Be sure to precisely define each strategy. Discuss how well or poorly these tools can be applied to the non-U.S. context. Clearly explain your reasoning. To focus your analysis, you may use a specific city or country outside the United States as an example.

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Presentations

20 minutes of most class sessions will be allocated for student presentations by groups of 1-2 students. Each student will present twice during the semester. (You need not partner with the same students for both presentations.) The purpose of the presentations is to present a concise, vivid story and analysis of a case study (or theory, or policy, etc.) that complements the class session's larger themes. (We will discuss the selection of groups on Jan 14.) I have listed a recommended "presentation topic" for each class session below; however, groups have the option of selecting a different topic (but do send me your alternative suggestion for approval well ahead of time). In most cases, either a US or international case would be appropriate. Strive to draw connections between your case study and themes/concepts from local and regional economic development. Cases are often geographically-defined (e.g., a city block, neighborhood, city, or region); but they might also be a program, policy, firm, sector or organization. The first presentation is scheduled for January 28. IMPORTANT: Be sure to list sources (visible on your slides) of all data, tables, charts, text, quotes, etc. (The audience should clearly know what is your own analysis, words, data charts, etc. and what is copied from other sources.) Please see the citations guide.

LINK to google spreadsheet (where you can edit and add your name)