Running head business writing2 business writing2assign

1. 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

2. 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?"

3. by Sasha Perigo