Apart from their assigned mod courses, 1L students may only enroll in courses offered as 1L electives. A complete list of these courses can be found on the 1L Elective Listings page. 1L students must use the 1L class number listed on the course description when enrolling.
257.4 sec. 001 - An Interdisciplinary Approach to Land Development and Investment (Spring 2023)
Instructor: Joseph M South
Instructor: Ashley Weinstein-Carnes (view instructor's teaching evaluations - degree students only)
View all teaching evaluations for this course - degree students only
Units: 3
Grading Designation: Graded
Mode of Instruction: In-Person
Meeting:
M 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Location: Law 140
From January 23, 2023
To April 25, 2023
Course End: April 25, 2023
Class Number: 32460
Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 10
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 10
As of: 08/24 11:03 PM
This interdisciplinary course is intended for business, law, planning, and public policy students interested in taking a deeper dive into the real estate development and land use process, with a specific focus on California development.
We all interact with real estate development daily – through where we live and play, where we attend school or work, our modes of transit, and beyond. However, most are unfamiliar with the critical legal, business and planning processes that determine how, when and where these features of the built environment are developed. This course provides a pragmatic overview of the critical considerations within each phase of the real estate development process, including site acquisition and diligence; land and site planning; environmental review; and strategies for obtaining necessary entitlements and land use approvals. Students will explore the key roles that various stakeholders play within real estate development, including within the private sector (landowners, real estate developers, investors, and financial partners) and public sector (elected officials, city staff, government regulators, and community members). The primary focus of this course is practice rather than theory. Students from law, planning, and policy backgrounds will learn to evaluate business risks inherent to real estate development, while business students will learn the key legal and policy issues critical to the development, land entitlement and deal making processes. Students will learn real-world perspectives from the Bay Area’s leading experts in land use and development, who will provide regular guest lectures throughout the course.
Students are not expected to have significant real estate experience prior to taking this course, although some real estate coursework or professional experience is a benefit. All students who are eager to engage with the material and utilize supplemental resources such as instructor office hours will be able to succeed in this course. This course will not include financial modeling instruction and, therefore, graded assessments will not require any financial computations; however, financial concepts will be covered, and students will be expected to apply a general understanding of those concepts to real estate development decision-making. A significant component of final grades will be based on regular attendance and active participation during weekly classes.
This course contributes to the Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Real Estate offered through the Haas School of Business, Berkeley Law, and College of Environmental Design (including MRED+D).
ASHLEY WEINSTEIN-CARNES is a land use attorney with the San Francisco firm of Coblentz, Patch, Duffy and Bass LLP, providing advice and counsel on a range of real estate development issues with a focus on negotiation of agreements with local governments and public agencies; coordination of environmental review under CEQA; and obtaining development entitlements through public hearings and administrative proceedings. She has successfully obtained land use approvals for large-scale projects across the state. Ashley’s practice spans commercial, residential, and nonprofit development, including major sports arenas to some of the largest affordable housing and master planned projects in the state, along with research & development, and hospital campuses. She dedicates much of her practice to housing development, and regularly speaks and writes on changes in the regulatory landscape impacting housing production in California. Ashley was named a Connect Media 2021 Next Generation Award winner and is recognized as a Northern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers in the Land Use/Zoning category. Ashley earned her J.D. from Berkeley Law with an Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Real Estate. Ashley holds a Master of Arts in Urban Education Policy & Administration and served as a former Teach for America corps member in East Los Angeles where she received an AmeriCorps Segal Award for Outstanding Service in Urban Education. Ashley is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, serving on the Leadership Committee for the Small-Scale Development National Product Council. She is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Berkeley Real Estate Alumni Association, where she led development of the Student Fellowship program.
JOE SOUTH is a real estate developer with years of experience working on projects in all phases of the development cycle, from acquisition and entitlement to leasing and disposition, across numerous product types and jurisdictions. Joe currently serves as Director of Development at Cold Summit Development, a national industrial development platform, where he leads underwriting, developing, and bringing to market ground-up cold storage facilities across multiple states. Throughout his development career, Joe has successfully worked with public agencies to obtain entitlements and regulatory approvals, including coordination with a range of resource agencies such as the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Bay Conservation and Development Commission, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Army Corps of Engineers, and Santa Clara Valley Water District. Prior to his current role, Joe worked with Sares Regis Group Northern California, St. Regis Properties, and Signature Development Group. Joe earned his MBA from the Haas School of Business with an Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Real Estate. He earned his B.S., with Honors, in English Literature from the United States Naval Academy, and was commissioned as an Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He also holds a Commis de Cuisine from the San Diego Culinary Institute. Joe has served on the Board of Directors for BREAA. He is an active member of the Guardsmen, a San Francisco-based non-profit providing scholarships and outdoor education for at-risk youth.
Exam Notes: (P) Final paper
Course Category: Business Law
If you are the instructor or their FSU, you may add a file like a syllabus or a first assignment to this page.
Readers:
No reader.
Books:
Instructor has not yet confirmed their textbook order, please check back later.