11.438 | Spring 2020 | Graduate

Economic Development Planning

Calendar

For full bibliographic details of reading assignments listed below, see the Readings page.

Class Sessions Readings Due Dates
I. Introduction
Introduction to Economic Development Planning: Applied Theory at the Local Level    
II. LENSES—Why and How to Interfere in the Economy?
1. Local Economic Development: Market Intervention Rationales

  • Jacobs, The Economy of Cities, chapters 1–3
  • Marshall, The Surprising Design of Market Economies, chapters 1–8

 
2. Local Economic Development: The Evolution of Mainstream Theory

  • Beer and Clower, Globalization, Planning and Local Economic Development, chapters 1–5
  • Leigh and Blakeley, Planning Local Economic Development, chapter 3

class assigns readings for session 5
3. The Creative Class and Placemaking

  • Florida, The Rise of the Creative Class, Revisited, chapter 16
  • Florida, The New Urban Crisis, chapters 1–7

 
4. Race and Equity in Economic Development

  • State of Maine Economic Development Strategy

 
5. Class Choice Topic & Odds and Ends

  • readings assigned by class

 
III. TOOLS—How Does Local Government Work?
6. Local Government Finance Overview

  • Overton and Bland, “Exploring the Linkage between Economic Base, Revenue Growth, and Revenue Stability in Large Municipal Governments” 

 
7. Property Taxes and Local Sales Taxes

  • Gates, “Residential Property Taxation in New York City”

professional memo #1 due
8. Intergovernmental Transfers / Campaign Finance

  • Edwards, “State and Local Revenues Beyond the Property Tax”
  • City of Portland [ME] FY 2020 One Year Action Plan
  • Narrative History of the CDBG Program in Portland

 
9. Annual Budgeting and Procurement

  • LaVecchia and Mitchell, “Amazon’s Next Frontier: Your City’s Purchasing”
  • Town of Brookline [MA] FY2020 Budget

 
10. Capital Improvement Programs

  • Elmer, “Bonds and Borrowing”
  • Ragsdale v. City of Memphis (2001)
  • City of Pittsburgh v. Alco Parking Corporation (1974)
  • Town of Brookline [MA] Capital Improvement Plan 2020–2024.

 
11. Tax Increment Finance Districts, Business Improvement Districts, Opportunity Zones

  • Merriman, “Improving Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for Economic Development” 
  • Citizens Advocating Responsible Environmental Solutions, Inc., v. City of Marco Island (2007)
  • City of Boca Raton v. State (1992)
  • Ehrlich v. City of Culver City (1996)

midterm papers due
12. Zoning for Economic Development

  • Village of Euclid, Ohio v. Ambler Realty Co. (1926)
  • Nollan v. California Coastal Commission (1987)
  • Dolan v. City of Tigard (1994)
  • Jacobus, “Inclusionary Housing: Creating and Maintaining Equitable Communities” 
  • Evans-Cowley, “Development Exactions: Process and Planning Issues”

 
13. Fiscal Impact Studies

  • Kotval and Mullin, “Fiscal Impact Analysis: Methods, Cases, and Intellectual Debate”
  • Fiscal impact studies

 
IV. STRATEGIES—Moving from Concepts to Actions
14. Determining Local Advantages and Disadvantages

  • Beer and Clower, Globalization, Planning and Local Economic Development, chapters 8–9

 
15. “Buy Local” Models

  • Mitchell, “Monopoly Power and the Decline of Small Businesses: The Case for Restoring America’s Once Robust Antitrust Policies”
  • Leigh and Blakeley, Planning Local Economic Development, chapters 9–11. 

 
16. The Creative Class and Incentives

  • Beer and Clower, Globalization, Planning and Local Economic Development, chapter 6
  • Florida, The Rise of the Creative Class, Revisited, chapters 1–3

 
17. Leveraging Economic Development for Public Policy Goals / Value Capture (guest lecture by Anthony Flint, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy)

  • German & Bernstein, “Land Value Capture: Tools to Finance Our Urban Future” 
  • Willams et al., “The Economics of Inclusionary Development” 
  • City of Cambridge Incentive Zoning and Jobs Linkage Study, 2019
  • Theodos and Meixell, “How Chicago and Cook County Can Leverage Opportunity Zones for Community Benefit” 

professional memo #2 due
18. Infrastructure and Public Investment

  • Marshall, chapters 9–16
  • Beer and Clower, Globalization, Planning and Local Economic Development, chapter 7

 
19. Managing Risk for Businesses

  • Hanson, “Taxes and Economic Development: An Update on the State of the Economics Literature” 
  • Seidman, Economic Development Finance, chapter 10.

 
20. Coordination with Other Planning / The Role of Politics

  • Beer and Clower, Globalization, Planning and Local Economic Development, chapters 10–12
  • Florida, The Rise of the Creative Class, Revisited, chapters 10–15

 
V. CASE STUDIES—How Does This Really Work?
21. Economic Development Planning in Practice: Thompson’s Point, Portland, ME (guest lecture by Chris Thompson, Thompson’s Point developer)

  • Thompson’s Point website
  • Axelrod, “Thompson’s Point Turns the Corner” 
  • Nielsen, “That’s Our Dump! [1]”
  • Busby, “That’s Our Dump! [2]”
  • City of Portland [ME] Transportation Hub Link Feasibility Study (2016)

 
22. Iterative Economic Development Planning: Assembly Square, Somerville, MA (guest lecture by Wig Zamore, Mystic View Task Force & Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership)

  • Assembly Square Planning Study (City of Somerville, 2000) 
  • Assembly Square Urban Renewal Plan (City of Somerville, 2002) 
  • Assembly Square Mixed Use District Zoning 
  • Assembly Square Revised Site Plan and Design Guidelines (2014) 

final projects due
VI. Conclusion
Student Presentations    

Course Info

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As Taught In
Spring 2020
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Learning Resource Types
Lecture Notes
Written Assignments with Examples
Instructor Insights