Homework1.docx

Running head: Business writing 2

Business writing 2

Assignment #1 (1 page long)

You get hired to work for Governor Gavin Newsom. He wants to enact new legislation requiring every region in California to build more housing. How can he persuade the state residents to support this new ordinance? Write a memo to the Governor outlining the communication strategy he should use. Remember: Your memo should be clearly communicated; it should be succinct and direct; it should demonstrate careful, critical thinking; it should be one page only; and it should demonstrate your understanding of the real estate concepts we have discussed in class.

you will find four articles describing the political challenges and context for this policy. Write a strategy memo advising your boss about how he should address the concerns of California’s residents. Here are a few questions for you to consider as you read the articles:

1. Of the four property rights (Modify or destroy, Transfer, Exclude, Use) that we discussed in class, which ones do the residents believe that they have? Which property rights do they believe that developers have? How can you use your knowledge of these legal rights to persuade them to change their minds?

2. Where is each neighborhood located? Based on the monocentric city model, how dense would you expect the neighborhood to be? Do you think its land is currently being used for its highest and best use? How can you use this model to convince residents to achieve this highest and best use?

3. What are the benefits of density? Why do people benefit from living and working closer together? Why are bigger cities more productive? Why are they more valuable? How can you use these economic benefits to demonstrate how residents’ lives will improve from more density?

4. What are the drawbacks of urban sprawl? Economically, what’s wrong with people living further away from the city center? Historically, what problems have been created by this suburbanization? How can you reference these consequences to warn residents about the danger of pushing development out to the periphery of the city? 5. These residents are clearly devoted to their community. Why is this commitment good for society? Historically, do they have any reason not to trust governors and developers? What experiences might have led them to care so much about their neighborhood? How can you acknowledge their grievances and craft a compromise that encourages new development without dismissing the suffering these residents have experienced from previous development? You do not need to answer all of the questions. They are just examples of the kinds of concerns you might want to address in your memo. Focus on the aspects that you think are most important for the Governor to use when he visits these neighborhoods and speaks to these constituents.

"The Supply-Equity Trade-off: The Effect of Spatial Representation on the Local Housing Supply" by Michael Hankinson & Asya Magazinnik

"How Does New Construction Affect Nearby Housing Prices?" by Jake Blumgart

"California, Mired in a Housing Crisis, Rejects an Effort to Ease It" by Conor Dougherty

"Who Are the Bay Area’s NIMBYs—and What Do They Want?" by Sasha Perigo