DCRP EVALUATIONS

 

At the end of every semester, the Department asks students to submit anonymous, written evaluations of courses taken. Among other questions, students are asked to rate, on a scale of 1 to 7 with 7 being "among the best," the overall Content and Format of the course and the overall Teaching Effectiveness of the instructor. The following table presents my average ratings in these two areas since I resumed teaching CP 252 and CP 205 in 2000. I hope this information is useful to you in your course selection.

 

 

Course	Enrollment	Content & Format	Teaching Effectiveness
CP 252 2000	9	6.22	6.11
CP 252 2001	20	6.11	6.24
CP 252 2002	21	6.47	6.59
CP 252 2003	15	6.43	6.43
CP 252 2004	16	6.29	6.50
CP 252 2005	28	6.05	6.33
CP 205 2001	16	6.25	6.31
CP 205 2002	26	6.58	6.62
CP 205 2003	17	6.59	6.82
CP 205 2004	35	6.36	6.36
CP 205 2005	35	6.37	6.36
CP 205 2006	24	n/a*	n/a*

 
*n/a - not applicable

 

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

TEACHER OF THE YEAR, 2003

 

Presentation by Reena Matthew, MCP, 2003

 

As students in DCRP we have had an amazing opportunity in our time here to have teachers that have challenged us thoroughly and will have an imprint on the work we do long after today. One teacher in particular is deserving of the special distinction "Teacher of the Year."

 

We have chosen Fred Etzel because he exemplifies an individual committed to his role as an educator.

 

It is my honor to tell you about this remarkable commitment. Fred is the master of many trades. In his life outside DCRP, he is a partner in his own law firm, "Henn, Etzel, and Moore" located in Oakland. Maybe Fred's nostalgic about this moment in particular because 20 years ago he was a Masters student in DCRP himself.

Fred is a true practitioner. In DCRP we've had several opportunities to explore the "what if" questions in planning but Fred forces us to take on what really is. He does this by brining in guest speakers into the classroom and challenging us with contemporary planning issues.

 

I have had the fortune of taking both of the courses that Fred teaches at DCRP and my fellow DCRPers and I have noticed a pattern in his teaching style. Maybe its the lawyer kicking in, but Fred has a remarkable talent for NOT answering questions! Let me explain, whenever you ask Fred a question, hoping for an answer from him, he ends up turning the question right back to you and making you figure out that you had the answer from the beginning. This is just an example of the incredible amount of faith Fred has in his students. Fred, they say that the best form of flattery is imitation. As your students, we can only hope to inspire others with the work we do, the way you have inspired us.  Thank You!

 

 

ALUMNI REVIEWS

 

I have kept in touch with some of my former students from when I last taught CP 252 and CP 205 about 10 years ago.  I have asked them to give me their comments so I could pass them on to prospective students.  Here are the comments I have received to date.

---

Fred, 

     It has been nice talking with you regarding the Amy's Kitchen project in Santa Rosa. I am glad to hear that you are considering teaching again.  Your CP205 Planning and the Legal Process course was my favorite DCRP course. (I did not take your other course but wish that I had.)  CP205 certainly was not easy; it was comprehensive and required a lot of study.  I still remember, though, after all these years, many of the legal principles and court cases.  That is not a reflection of my memory but of your course and its relevance to planning practice.  An understanding of the law is essential in the land use planning and environmental planning fields.  I am really glad that I took your class and studied hard. 

Best wishes,
Frank Kasimov, DCRP Class of 1988

---

Hi, Fred! 

     It was nice talking to you a couple weeks ago.  It's amazing how fast time flies.  It's been over 10 years since my graduation from DCRP.  As you know, I was hired directly from school by the City of San Jose, where I worked as a Planner II as a reviewer of all types of development.  Not only did I enjoy your CP 205 (Planning & the Legal Process), but it prepared me so well that I came in third place on the City of San Jose's civil service exam.  That's largely how I got the job!  Your course prepared me with an excellent grounding in national and California case law, state planning statutes, useful insights from your experience as a land-use attorney, and legal research skills which allowed me to excel, despite ever having had any prior work experience as a land-use planner. 

     Now I am working at MTC as a transportation planner.  It is amazing that hardly any colleagues have an understanding of land-use controls and their legal framework.  It's a pity, they didn't take your class. 

     It was a privilege having you as an instructor.  I wish you the best of luck in your future teaching endeavors. 

Sincerely,
Craig Goldblatt

---

Fred, 

     It was a pleasure speaking with your again after so many years.  I am very pleased to hear that you are considering teaching again at the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley. 

     I strongly encourage you to teach the same courses (CP 205- Planning & the Legal Process and CP252 Land Use Controls), which were absolutely the best taught, most relevant and most engaging classes that I took at DCRP (1985 - 1987) and the Yale School of Management (1988 - 1990). 

     The courses provided me with the key underpinnings of planning from both a legal and implementation perspective.  Outlines I prepared for your class are the only materials I have continued to save from graduate school due to their strong influence in my work.  Your courses provided me with invaluable tools to launch my career with an understanding of the fundamentals such as the general plan, development agreements, regional land use, redevelopment, eminent domain, taking, zoning, CEQA, etc. 

     Years after the "Land Use Controls" class I took from you, I learned that my final paper was a source for major negotiations among an economic development organization, the City and County of San Francisco and Catellus Development about creating an exaction to capitalize a revolving loan fund for economic development activities in Mission Bay. 

     After graduating from DCRP, I worked with Sedway Group for 10 years where I was a principal for five years.  In 1998, I began my own practice in environmentally and socially responsible real estate and economic development consulting for landmark properties.  I am currently working on the revitalization or reuse of Ellis Island (NJ/NY), Fort Baker (Marin), Japantown (San Francisco), Mills College (Oakland) and Boston Harbor Islands (Boston).  I would like to thank you for providing me with an excellent planning education to launch my career. 

     I look forward to keeping in touch. 

Naomi Porat
Porat Consulting
3145 Geary Blvd. #733
San Francisco, CA  94118
Tel 415 753-1810
Fax 415 564-6911
email naomiporat@aol.com

     I took Fred Etzel's class on Mello-Roos and Assessment Districts (CP 252) in 1989/1990, toward the end of my MCP studies in Urban Design.  I found the class to be not only interesting, but one of the most practical classes that I took during the master's program. I interviewed with a planning/engineering firm right after graduation.  Unbeknownst to me, they managed a Mello-Roos District. Fred's class was the only reason that they hired me. 

Janet Mack Greg Robbeloth 

Fred: 

     It was good to see you. It seems that we cross paths in various Bay Area planning departments every few years. Your class, CP 205, was extremely useful to me from the first day I began work as a planner in the Bay Area.  All of the other classes I took at DCRP gave me an excellent "big picture" view of planning issues and problems, but CP 205 taught me the legal principles and concepts that I found essential to my first day of work in the public sector and that I continue to rely on every day as a Bay Area planner. 

To any planning student:

     If you are thinking about working in the public or private sector on any issues related to the regulation, protection, and/or development of land, I have only one piece of advice: take this course. You will never regret it. 

P.S. - And Fred is an excellent teacher. When I was at DCRP, he was one of the best. 

Andrew Thomas
Senior Planner
DCRP, 1988

Fred:

     Enjoyed catching up with you recently and also enjoyed reviewing the beginnings of "landuseprof.com". I think it will become a truly great site when you finish off the Planning Humor and Trivia section - there's certainly a lot of material!

     It's good news that you are going to be back at DCRP again this year. Having taken and TA'd CP 205 and then having moved on to a career as a real estate and land use lawyer, I have always felt that 205 really was an essential course for and for many MCP students. It definitely was one of the most challenging and enjoyable courses I took in my four years at Berkeley - both DCRP and Boalt. I think the class is appealing for a variety of reasons - the instruction method
offers something a bit different from most DCRP classes, the material
presents the fundamental legal underpinnings of planning, and your experience as a planner and land use lawyer helps translate the material into practical working knowledge for planning professionals.

     Your classes have been of significant practical application from the
start of my legal career in the real estate department of a major law firm through the present. I've been at Gap Inc. since 1997, where I'm Associate General Counsel handling real estate facilities development. The company's projects include major headquarters expansions here in San Francisco with our 250 Embarcadero/Rincon Park project and at our campus in San Bruno near SFO, and the expansion of our distribution network by several million square feet across the US and in the UK.

     Let your prospective students know that your classes are challenging but definitely worth the hard work!

Best,
Kevin Solliday
JD/MCP 1990

Fred:

     I'm glad to hear that you will be teaching again at DCRP - once again you will be a strong asset to the program. CP 205 was amongst the most demanding and rigorous classes that I took in grad school, but well worth the time and energy spent. Although I don't practice in the land use arena, you taught broader legal principles and skills that are applicable and essential to practicing professionals in many disciplines. These fundamental skills included policy and legal analysis, as well as how to conduct legal research. CP 205 provided me with solid analytical and legal skills that I did not find readily available in other course offerings, and that have served me well long after grad school. I found you to be one of the best organized and prepared professors in or outside of DCRP. Your course provided me with valuable insight into how our legal system works - and a sampling of what law school must be like! I would recommend CP 205 
to anyone who wants to strengthen and refine their critical thinking and analysis skills - in my opinion, this is probably the most essential and practical proficiency to take away from grad school! Good to see you again. 

Regards, 
Bob Charbonneau. DCRP '88 

Hi Fred:

     It's been about 12 years since I took your course so forgive me if I
have forgotten some of the nuts and bolts. However, while your Implementation for Planners course was centered around land use laws, every planner, whether in the field of current, advanced and/or redevelopment, should be familiar with land use laws. Your course provided some excellent case studies which are relevant to key land use discussions currently under debate in the Bay Area.

    Your practical experience combined with the legal cases discussed in class, provided students with a well rounded understanding of how laws govern the decision-making process and how politicians and staff must adhere to such laws. I have also found the reader to be a good reference manual long after graduating from DCRP. Your insight to development in the Bay Area was invaluable and added to the grounding of the course. I would highly recommend this course to any planner interested in land use, development or redevelopment.

Take care,
ricardo

Fred:

     I'd be glad to put in a good word for your Land Use Law class
because it was one of the most useful classes I found at DCRP.  I've worked in economic consulting and in County Administration, neither of which are typical planning jobs, but I found that the topics covered in your course have come up over and over again.  If you deal even remotely with land use issues in your career, an understanding of land use law is really useful.

     Fred's class is also memorable for its organization and his level of
preparedness.  Class participation is required making it one of the more challenging courses offered.  Plus, Fred offers all of his students one free call for legal advice, which makes it worth it right there.

Take care - Davida Amenta

Fred,

     It was a pleasant surprise seeing you again the other night at the DCRP welcome wagon! Again, congratulations on your daughter starting college!

     I am following up on your request for Alumni reviews of your courses. I took CP-205 during my tenures at DCRP and LA ('86-'89), and like many of my fellow students whose comments precede mine, I believe that your course was one of the most rigorous and well taught courses I took while in the program. During my professional practice, I have often used the knowledge and thought processes developed in your course. Familiarity with the evolution of land use regulation and with the important recent cases helped me secure employment and has been useful in my day to day negotiations with developers, and in writing policy for land use regulation. 

     The rigor and discipline of the course distinguished it from others I took while at Cal. It was nice to get a sense of what law school, or at least those classes in law school involving oral arguments, might be like. Presenting and defending briefs was intimidating and extremely effective instructional tool for all of us. Your "Judge Fred" act might even play well on daytime TV. I think it is to the benefit of the program and the students in it that you are reviving these courses! Best of luck to you!
--
Joseph LaClair
Senior Planner
SFBCDC

     After reading some of the other alumni reviews, I'm afraid I'll start
sounding like a broken record (for those of you around before CD's), but CP 205 was, in fact, the most enlightening and memorable class I took at DCRP.  Even though I do low-income housing financial consulting full time, which tends to be a bit removed from land-use planning, your class provided a foundation which I could not have done without.  CP 205 not only provided excellent background in planning principles, it was an incredibly clear introduction to the basic areas of constitutional law (that would otherwise be just a blur during those Supreme Court Justice confirmation hearings).  In fact, I became so obsessed with the class, reading every case word for word, I barely left time for anything else.  I even started studying for the LSATs shortly after planning school, thanks to the class, until I become
too consumed by spreadsheets.

     Glad to hear your back at it.  EVERY planning student should take this class, regardless of your area of interest.

Richard Mandel (DCRP '87)