Written Assignments
To demonstrate their ability to critically analyze and synthesize the required readings, students will write a series of short papers. For each paper, students will draw on content from at least three required readings by summarizing, comparing and contrasting, and highlighting the strengths and the weaknesses of the main arguments. Students should be prepared to present a 5 minute summary of their paper in class on Ses #4, Ses #6, Ses #9, and Ses #12.
- Paper 1 - Are Downtowns Making a Comeback? (Ses #1 - Ses #3)
- Paper 2 - Business Improvement Districts (Ses #4 - Ses #5)
- Paper 3 - BID Enabling Legislation (Ses #6 - Ses #8)
- Paper 4 - A Global Perspective (Ses #9 - Ses #11)
Each paper should be typed using 12-point font, double-spaced, 3-4 pages in length, and contain the appropriate footnotes and bibliographic references. Students are expected to submit papers electronically on the due date. Late papers will lose one letter grade each week.
Group Project
Our client is Virginia Boulet. She is the Chairperson of the Retail Development Task Force that has been appointed by Mayor Nagin to develop a plan for improving the management of retail areas in the city of New Orleans. The Task Force would like MIT students (those taking 11.422 and 11.437) to prepare a plan to form a DMO for the French Quarter. The expectation is that students from both 11.422 and 11.437 will work in tandem on the project with the following division of labor: 11.422 students will construct a presentation that raises and resolves issues of governance structure and program design; students in 11.437 will conduct financial analyses for the district. In the end, student work will be disseminated to property owners in the French Quarter, members of the New Orleans City Council, members of the New Orleans Planning Commission, and members of the Louisiana State Legislature.
- Phase 1 - Devise Group Plan (Ses #7 - Ses #8)
- Phase 2 - Conduct Site Field Research (sometime between Ses #9 - Ses #10)
- Phase 3 - Compile Recommendations (Ses #11 - Ses #15)
Class Participation
This is a seminar course and the quality of this course depends on your contributions. Students are expected to complete the required readings in advance and actively participate in class discussions. Recommended readings are for students with an interest in developing a thesis topic around this subject. While it is reasonable to miss a session due to illness or emergency, you must notify me in advance if you will be absent more than once.
