Features

Growth vs. Sustainability: Can Tokyo Have It All?

A strong economy or a stable lifestyle: Which scenario is preferable? I. INTRODUCTION I grew up in the 1950s and 60s when the Japanese economy was experiencing a strong growth. Everybody in Japan believed that tomorrow would be better than today as long as we worked hard. Dr. Ezra Feivel Vogel published a book titled… Read more

Features

How Risks are Shifted Within the German Real Estate Market

Wall of Equity and Debt The current interest rate environment in the European Union (EU) creates the following situation, which can be described best as a “wall of equity meets a wall of debt”: Real estate projects, which could not have been realized/financed several years ago, are financed today using favorably priced equity, hybrid and/or… Read more

  • Default User Image

Water in the West

Driving through my neighborhood in Southern California, I see a different landscape than when I moved in a little more than a year ago. In my gated community, there once was an almost cult-like grooming of yards with massive green carpets of grass. The homeowners’ association gave out tickets to residents outside the cult who… Read more

Features

Public Trust: Toward Building a Park and Open Space Legacy

Interest in, and use of, the Public Trust Doctrine has reached unprecedented levels recently in response to the growing threat that urban growth poses for parks and open spaces. The Public Trust Doctrine forces governments holding land assets in trust on behalf of the public to balance their short-term interests against the long-term protection of… Read more

Features

It’s a “Small World”…with Big Economic Challenges

One need only reflect upon the headlines of late regarding Brexit, Trans-Pacific-Partnership (TPP), Hanjin shipping bankruptcy, and slowing GDP growth to realize that all is not harmonious in the global economy. The common threads that run through these headlines — as well as other noteworthy current events, such as the Syrian refugee crisis and U.S…. Read more

Perspectives

Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Future of our Cities

I met my business partner Dan Gans in 1972 when we were both freshman at Gettysburg College. One year after graduating, we decided to start a development business together. After studying the entire New York Metropolitan area for three years as we completed our post-graduate studies, we came to the conclusion that Hoboken would be the best place to start. The selection criteria that we used in deciding where to start our redevelopment business... Read More