Creating Shared Benefits in Real Estate Development

The second of two that comprise the Socially Responsible Real Estate Development Professional Certificate Program. Start by examining SIA and EIA in action with an in-depth exploration of Country Gardens Limited’s Forest City development project -- a multi-billion dollar development project on the southern coast of Malaysia. You will have access to materials collected by a research team of MIT graduate students who conducted video interviews with a wide variety of stakeholders including local fishermen, public officials, community activists, and the leading urban designers and real estate developers in Malaysia, Singapore, China, and the U.S. To situate learners in the Forest City setting, the research team filmed the development extensively, both on the ground and from the air. Partnering with a local non-profit and visiting the site repeatedly over the course of two years, the team was able to document the significant social and environmental impacts of the Forest City project. This will provide you with an opportunity to evaluate the costs and benefits of decisions made by Country Gardens. Finally, you will conclude the program by reflecting on your own theory of what constitutes socially responsible real estate development.