urban planning

USP 100: Introduction to Urban Planning Spring 2017 ______________________________________________________________________________________

1

Assignment 4: Policy Memo Due: May 10, 2017 Value: 35 points An important skill for professionals in all fields is the ability to concisely summarize complex issues. Urban planners, in particular, are frequently required to conduct research on proposed new policies and/or evaluate lengthy policy reports and present recommendations to their colleagues, supervisors, and/or other decision-makers. After these tasks have been completed, planners are often asked to present their findings in a clear, concise, and short (1-2 page) memorandum. For this assignment, you are required to thoroughly read a policy document and then prepare a memorandum based on hypothetical. You will have your choice of two documents. Select ONE of the following documents and then respond to its hypothetical:

1) High Speed Rail: International Lessons for US Policy Makers (2011) published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and written by Petra Todorovich, Daniel Schned, and Robert Lane. The report is available for free at the following link: https://www.lincolninst.edu/sites/default/files/pubfiles/high-speed-rail-full_0.pdf.

2) The State of the Nation’s Housing, 2016 published by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. The report is available for free at the following link: http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/jchs.harvard.edu/files/jchs_2016_state_of_the_nations_ housing_lowres.pdf.

1. High Speed Rail Hypothetical You work for a nonprofit organization (SANTRANS) in San Diego that does transportation planning and advocacy with a focus on providing equitable access for all San Diegans to all forms of transportation. SANTRANS has been invited by Governor Jerry Brown to join a statewide advisory group of nonprofit organizations tasked with evaluating the feasibility of developing a high speed rail line between San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area. Your supervisor, Mirle Bussell (Executive Director of SANTRANS), will be flying up to Sacramento to meet with the advisory committee. In preparation for the meeting, she has been asked to read the Lincoln Institute’s report, High Speed Rail: International Lessons for US Policy Makers. This document provides an overview of high speed rail projects in other parts of the world and offers recommendations for U.S. policy makers. Your supervisor has asked for your assistance in preparing for the meeting. She would like you to prepare a two-page memo that succinctly summarizes the report’s key findings and recommendations. She values your opinions and wants to know your conclusions about the feasibility and potential of developing a high speed rail line between San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area. She has asked for a summary of the issues, identification of the key challenges and opportunities, evaluation of the challenges and opportunities, and identification of the most promising recommendations. Your memo should include the following: 1) Opening Segment/Statement of Topic: This should include the purpose of the memo and a brief overview of what the memo will contain. You should be explicit: “The purpose of this memo is to. . .” It should also contain a policy statement. Take a position on the issue – what do you think

USP 100: Introduction to Urban Planning Spring 2017 ______________________________________________________________________________________

2

about the report’s findings and recommendations? Will high speed rail benefit Californians? What about San Diegans? Think of this as your thesis statement. (1 short paragraph) 2) Brief Overview of Issue Area: This is background on the issue you are addressing – what is the main theme of the policy report from the Lincoln Institute? Briefly provide the background and state the problem/challenge/opportunity that is addressed in the policy document. (1paragraph) 3) Discussion: This is the longest section of the memo. This is where you will provide a concise summary and evaluation of the issues along with identification of the key findings, challenges and opportunities, and recommendations. Use evidence from the report to support your discussion. For example, what are some of the specific experiences of international high speed rail projects? We also want to see you incorporate critical thinking. If you have any critiques of high speed rail, based on the material presented in the report, you should include them here. Present the discussion so that the main points are clearly organized in a useful and easy to follow manner. You may use headings if this helps you effectively convey the information and your argument. (2- 3 paragraphs) 4) Closing Segment: This is a short paragraph where you state your main policy recommendations and the ways in which they will benefit your reader (your supervisor and your organization, SANTRANS). Restate your thesis and your main position/recommendations. (1 short paragraph) 2. State of the Nation’s Housing Hypothetical

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer has a multi-pronged agenda that includes, among other issues, housing policy. He is dedicated to identifying and implementing strategies to promote a vibrant housing market for all San Diegans regardless of race, income, household size, and type of housing (rental or ownership). Mayor Faulconer has directed his chief of policy, Mike Hansen, to brief him on current challenges and issues in the national housing market as a way to gain insight into potential programs, policies, trends, and challenges that may impact San Diego.

You work for Mr. Hansen as one of his research analysts, and he has given you an evaluation of national housing trends and policies to review and critique entitled The State of the Nation’s Housing 2016. It was prepared by Harvard University’s Joint Center of Housing Studies, which is regarded as one of the nation’s preeminent housing policy institutes. Mr. Hansen plans to use your review of the document in preparation for an upcoming briefing meeting that he has scheduled with Mayor Faulconer to discuss national and local housing issues.

Your supervisor, Mr. Hansen, has asked you to prepare a 1-2-page memo that succinctly summarizes the report’s key findings and recommendations. He values your opinions and has asked you for the following: 1) a summary of the issues and trends; 2) identification and evaluation of the key challenges and opportunities; 3) and identification of the most compelling issues to be shared with Mayor Faulconer. As you present the material, make sure to draw connections between national trends and their implications for San Diego.

USP 100: Introduction to Urban Planning Spring 2017 ______________________________________________________________________________________

3

Your memo should include the following:

1) Opening Segment/Statement of Topic: This should include the purpose of the memo and a brief overview of what the memo will contain. You should be explicit: “The purpose of this memo is to. . .” It should also contain a policy statement. Take a position on the issue – what do you think about The State of the Nation’s Housing? Are there any particularly compelling national trends and/or challenges that are of significance, particularly for San Diego? Think of this as your thesis statement. (1 short paragraph)

2) Brief Overview of Issue Area: This is background on the issue you are addressing – what is the main theme of the report from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies? Briefly provide the background and state the problem/challenge/opportunity that is addressed in the document. (1 paragraph)

3) Discussion: This is the longest section of the memo. This is where you will provide a concise summary and evaluation of the issues along with identification of the key findings, trends, challenges and opportunities, and recommendations. What are the critical issues? What are the challenges? What are the opportunities? What are the recommendations? Incorporate critical thinking – if you feel strongly that specific issues should be emphasized in Mr. Hansen’s presentation to Mayor Faulconer, this is where you should make your case as supported by the evidence. Present the discussion so that the main points are clearly organized in a useful and easy to follow manner. You may use headings if this helps you effectively convey the information and your argument. It is important, even essential, to strategically include specific facts/data from the report to substantiate your argument and presentation of the material. Be very deliberate in your selection of factual material to incorporate into your memo. (2-3 paragraphs max.)

4) Closing Segment: This is a short segment where you state your main policy recommendations and the ways in which they will benefit your reader (your supervisor, Mr. Hansen). Re-emphasize your thesis and your main position/recommendations. Make sure to connect the findings of the report to San Diego. You do not need to be an expert in San Diego housing policy. Rather, it is up to your informed discretion to identify ways in which the Harvard study’s findings can apply to/inform San Diego housing policy. (1 short paragraph)

Formatting the Memo As you prepare your policy memo, be mindful that your objective is to present your ideas in a clear, concise, and logical manner. Your main points should be easily identifiable by the reader. Use facts to support your assertions, but do so in a way that will enhance your memo rather than “clutter” it with too much minutiae. It is acceptable to include tables and charts in a memo, but only do so if they enhance your argument. In the real world you would likely find it necessary to conduct additional research. This is not necessary for this assignment. Memos typically do not contain footnotes or a bibliography, but if you cite a source (in this case the Lincoln Institute report), make sure to reference the source in the text. For example, “In the report, High Speed Rail: International Lessons for US Policy Makers, the authors draw attention to. . .” or “Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies report from 2016 entitled The State of the Nation’s Housing 2013 draws attention to. . .”

USP 100: Introduction to Urban Planning Spring 2017 ______________________________________________________________________________________

4

Format The memo should use the following heading segment: MEMORANDUM TO: (Intended Reader’s Complete Name and Title) FROM: (Your full name, USP 100) DATE: (Current Date – assignment due date should be used) RE: (What the memo is about) The memo should be singled spaced, use 12 point Times Roman font, and have 1-inch margins. The only exception is the formatting of the heading, which should have an extra space in between each line as illustrated above. Separate each paragraph with an extra line and do not indent paragraphs. The memo must not exceed two pages. Memos that exceed the page limit will receive an automatic 2 point deduction. You must bring a hard copy to class and submit an electronic version to Turnitin.com via the link on our TritonEd website. You will lose 2 points if you submit your paper late to Turnitin.com