Urban Economics – Urban policy decisionThis assignment is to research and write an analytic paper on your urban policy issue. I expect you to go beyond merely reporting the facts to an explicit consideration of some important consequences. Because this is a policy analysis you should NOT approach this from the perspective of an advocate whose purpose is either to prove the wisdom or foolhardiness of any specific proposal. DO NOT START WITH THE ANSWER!!! Your job is to derive well-supported conclusions about the consequences if the policy is enacted i.e. you should identify effects and lay out the props and cons as clearly as possible. Any conclusions should come only at the end and be a result of your analysis not its motivation.Economics 230—Urban Economics(Count for 30% of your grade)The Topic: Your paper should address an urban policy decision either a piece of anational c: or u specific issue in the context of a particular city. The policy does NOThave to be restricted to a U.S. policy or U.S. cities. Whatever you choose the morespecific your policy question the easier your paper will be to write. The best source forfinding policy controversies is current news media—Local papers the Economist etc. oryour own knowledge about events in your home town. Listed below is a random sampleof policy topics that would be a good fit for a paper such as this. There are many othersThe construction of variable toll lanes paralleling a highway allowing motorists to “buy”their way out of congestion. (There are such roads in Southern CA.)Attempts by cities such as Matteson IL to preserve a racial balance among its residents.Experiments with selling public housing to its tenants so that they become “owners.”The impact on a central city of a new publicly funded sports stadium.The effects of a redistributive school finance law such as Vermont and Texas haveenacted Abe viability of “new urbanist” planned communities” like Seaside Florida The impact of experiments with school vouchers on urban school systemsCreative reuse of urban space (e.g. the “High Line” in New York “Freeway Park” inSeattle)Growth boundaries to contain sprawl (Portland OR is the classic example of this)Public funding for a sports stadiumCasinos as the solution to urban developmentYou can look at a very local issue if you wishEasthampton recently passed a proposal to require 10% of new housingdevelopments to be set aside as “affordable ” a requirement that can be “boughtout.”Northampton has proposed development regulations to keep out “big box”retailers and foster Main St type development along King St.Smith agreed with the mayor to replace the “affordable housing” lost in theconstruction of Ford Hall.The city has proposed having design oversight on any development includingSmith construction along West St.YOU SHOULD CLEAR YOUR TOPIC WITH ME BEFORE YOU COMMIT TOIT.The Format: 67 pages of prose – typed doublespaced in a font no smaller than 11point and carefully proofread. All materials that is not original with you whether a directquote or not MUST be fully cited. NO EXCEPTIONS. When in doubt cite! I TOLD THAT I WANT TO WRITE A PAPER ON ONE OF THE LOCAL ISSUES:“Smith agreed with the mayor to replace the “affordable housing” lost in the constructionof Ford Hall.”These are articles that I researched. I will try to find more.http://www.masslive.com/localbuzz/index.ssf/2009/12/the_once_and_future_streets.htmlhttp://northamptonmedia.com/blog/01/11/2011/smithmustcomplywithdesignstandards/http://blog.masslive.com/breakingnews/2008/02/smith_college_to_subsidize_hou.htmlhttp://www.gazettenet.com/
