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Lusk Perspectives

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Real Conversations, Real Estate

During a time of great uncertainty and rapid change, connection and information is a more important resource than ever before. Today's issues could be amplified or altered in a matter of days or hours, so it is vital that organizations and thought leaders frequently share knowledge, dispel rumors, and offer insight.

Hosted by Professor and Lusk Center Director Richard K. Green, Lusk Perspectives offers timely analysis and shares accurate data vetted by leading experts on the latest developments and observations concerning policy, real estate, urban economics and more.

Once interviews are conducted, resources and videos will be made available here and on podcast channels as soon as possible.

 

Latest Perspectives

State and Local Budgets

August 25, 2020
Carolyn Coleman
Carolyn Coleman | Executive Director, League of California Cities
Tracy Gordon
Tracy Gordon | Senior Fellow, Urban Institute
Lois Takahashi
Lois Takahashi | Director, USC Price Sacramento

Lois Takahashi moderates a discussion on how COVID-19 is impacting state and local budgets with Tracy Gordon and Carolyn Coleman. Gordon outlines the nationwide declines in revenue are dramatic and could take up to 10 years for unemployment to fully recover. Coleman’s focus on the local picture illustrates that across the board, cities of all sizes are coming up against a variety of shortfalls in revenue and a likely reduction in services. Richard Green fields questions alongside Takahashi regarding how online retail is impacting tax revenue, how inequities are increasing during the pandemic, and the opportunities that this massive fiscal and social shakeup may provide.

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Racial Justice and Economics: A Crucial Pairing

August 20, 2020
William Spriggs
William Spriggs | Professor in, Former Chair of the Department of Economics, Howard University and Chief Economist, AFL-CIO
Dana Goldman
Dana Goldman | Interim Dean, USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and, Leonard D. Schaeffer Director’s Chair, USC Schaeffer Center

Introduced by Dana Goldman, William Spriggs illustrates that race and racism have long been intertwined with economics, and uniquely so in the United States. Defining of race in Plessy v. Ferguson, redlining practices, treating race as "exogenous" in economic analysis, and predatory lending all follow a through-line of systemic racism infiltrating (and weakening) the economy. Richard Green follows up with questions regarding Sprigg's open letter to economists posted publicly at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, the real consequences of race as a social construct, the case for reparations in economic models, and more.

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ESG Investments and Real Estate

August 12, 2020
Bonnie M. Wongtrakool
Bonnie M. Wongtrakool | Global Head of ESG Investments, Western Asset Management Company

Bonnie M. Wongtrakool discusses the state and the future of ESG (environmental, social, governance) investments with Richard Green. Wongtrakool delivers relevant definitions of ESG, how ESG factors can determine long-term sustainability and viability of an organization or fund, and what trends are driving ESG growth. Green follows up with questions on what makes green buildings more financially resilient, red flags in organizational governance, and what it will take to truly diversity the finance industry.

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Changing Typologies and Construction Innovations in Housing

July 28, 2020
Rick Holliday
Rick Holliday | CEO, Co-Founder, Factory OS
Janet Stephenson
Janet Stephenson | Head of Building Platform Sales, Katerra
Lucio Soibelman
Lucio Soibelman | Chair, USC Astani Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Mary Lynne Boorn | Associate Professor, USC Sol Price School of Public Policy

Rick Holliday, Janet Stephenson, and Lucio Soibelman join host Mary Lynne Born in a discussion on changing typologies and construction innovation in housing. The panel brings experience and insight on shipping constraints, misconceptions of manufactured housing, education for builders and stakeholders, and how construction technology will aid human laborers, not replace them. For further reference, innovators involved in homelessness mentioned during the discussion include Pallette, Seattle's The Block Project, and Mary's Place at Amazon HQ.

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Fireside Chat with Lusk Leadership

July 23, 2020
Emile Haddad
Emile Haddad | CEO, Five Point Holdings
William A. Witte
William A. Witte | CEO, Related California

Lusk Chairman Emile Haddad and Vice Chairman William A. Witte join Richard Green in a fireside chat covering a broad range of topics. The seasoned CEOs deliver insights on how COVID-19 has impacted their business and accelerated industry trends, what habits will stay in the adoption of remote work, the importance of a renewed focus on equity and inclusion in the real estate industry for both developers and stakeholders, and more.

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