Real Estate Development and Economic Development Planning Education: Pragmatic Turn or Trojan Horse?

Development planning agencies seek professionals who understand the real estate process, which has led to an interest in real estate development courses within planning programs; however, educators are skeptical of conflating the two because real estate development is often at odds with the economic development field’s focus on social equity. How should economic development planning educators approach real estate? This article extends the discussion of four panelists at the 2019 Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) conference. A pedagogical approach promoting social equity and economic opportunity along with meaningful returns on real estate investment is one panelists deemed critical.