This course has the following assignments and requirements:

1. Reading reactions and question.  For each of the following classes, you must submit a one page reaction to the assigned reading (not a summary of the reading; I want to know if you agreed, didn’t agree, didn’t understand, wanted more clarification on the issue), as well as a thoughtful question about the reading or the topic. These brief papers are due in class at the beginning of the class.  You can submit them for the following 15 classes: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, and 23.  You are allowed to miss five classes, so in total you will be submitting 10 papers.  I will write brief comments on these papers and will not grade them, but you will receive no credit for your submissions if they are not thoughtful and/or if they do not reflect that you have done the reading.
2. Research project and presentations.  The class research project, which involves independent and team research on gentrification in New York City neighborhoods (Long Island City, Queens; West Harlem, Manhattan; Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn; and Bushwick, Brooklyn), is described in more detail in a separate handout available here.  Here are the team assignments for the research project. We will discuss this project in Class 3.  It includes the following components:
   1. Observation of a commercial and a residential area in your assigned neighborhood, due February 26 (individual in-class reports and 2 page written description);
   2. Observation of a community board meeting, due March 17 (individual in-class reports and 2 page written description);
   3. Neighborhood history and demographic data, due April 7 (group in-class reports and 7 page written description including charts, described in more detail here; and
   4. Final papers and presentations, which will describe and discuss gentrification in your study neighborhoods, due May 5 and 7 (group in-class reports) and May 14 (25 page paper), as well as a presentation at the Seminar 4 Conference, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11 at the Macauley Honors College at 35 West 67th Street.

Grading:

I will calculate course grades as follows.  Please note that as this course involves a group project, a portion of your grade will be based on a peer assessment completed by the other members of your group.  I will provide assessment forms at the end of the semester.

• Reading reactions/questions                                                    15%
• Neighborhood observation and community board reports      15%
• Neighborhood history, etc. report                                             15%
• Final paper and presentation (5% for reviewing presentation with Owen Toews) 30%
• Peer assessment                                                                       10%
• Class participation (includes attendance at Seminar 4 Conference) 15%