Podcast
Lusk Perspectives
Hosted by University of Southern California · EN
During a time of great uncertainty and change, connection and information is a more important resource than ever before. Today's problems 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.
To meet this need, the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate hosts the resource Lusk Perspectives.
Hosted by Professor and Lusk Center Director Richard K. Green, Lusk Perspectives offers timely conversations concerning real estate and urban economics.
13episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
When Water Rewrites the Rules
May 500:54:35Tap to summarizeWater is increasingly behaving in ways that defy our plans. How should cities prepare when the risks keep changing? Roni Deitz (Arcadis) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to explore how water is reshaping real estate, infrastructure, and long-term investment. Starting with recent storms like Hurricane Helene and their devastating impacts, the conversation expands to examine a new reality: the baseline assumptions guiding water and development may no longer hold. Highlights include: Why mapped flood risk often misses the reality of risk over time The limits of engineering, and why aligned land use decisions are necessary for resilience What "one water" thinking looks like in practice, from stormwater to wastewater How cities like New York are aligning policy, finance, and infrastructure in flood-prone areas How integrating policy and practice can make cities more stable and investible More: https://lusk.usc.edu/perspectives
Transcribe →Making Workforce Housing Work
Mar 3100:44:55Tap to summarizeMaking more affordable housing is challenging, but it's far from impossible. Kyle Ransford (Cardinal Investments) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to offer a practical look at operating in today's multifamily market. The conversation covers Ransford's path from early-90s dealmaking to building a portfolio focused on workforce and affordable housing across Southern California. Ransford explains how Section 8 functions in practice, from lease-up timelines to tenant stability. He also argues that strong management, often more than physical upgrades, drives value in a given property, especially in smaller buildings. The episode also explores rising operating costs, the realities of owning in Los Angeles, and why expanding condo development and homeownership could help ease supply constraints. Highlights include: A realistic view of Section 8 housing's challenges and opportunities The top upgrades tenants feel first, from air conditioning to in-unit laundry Why property management drives value in the majority of acquisitions The growing gap between operating costs and achievable rents How condo development and liability reform could unlock more housing supply More: https://lusk.usc.edu/perspectives
Transcribe →Rebuilding Altadena: The Work of Building Back
Feb 1901:00:18Tap to summarizeWhat does it actually take to rebuild after a disaster—and who gets to build back? Longtime Altadena resident and development professional Joel Bryant (Bronzeville, Inc.) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to cover the real-world mechanics of post-wildfire rebuilding. Drawing on his decades of experience in multifamily projects, Bryant explains how homeowners are navigating surveys, insurance constraints, permitting, and construction costs while detailing the small but meaningful milestones that signal progress. The conversation transitions from the practical to the systemic: how the permitting process has evolved since the fires, what it takes to secure approvals quickly, and why architects play a critical role in keeping projects on track. As rebuilding efforts gather momentum, a central question remains: rebuilding for whom? Highlights include: The step-by-step process of rebuilding a home after wildfire loss How projected timelines are playing out in Altadena Why permitting speed depends as much on people as on portals How insurance limits shape design and feasibility ADUs, density, and the future of Altadena's commercial corridors Preserving community identity while rebuilding at scale More: https://lusk.usc.edu/perspectives
Transcribe →Cities Are Still The Places To Be: What's Working in California
Dec 1200:51:31Tap to summarizeWhat's driving the uneven recovery at the core of California cities, and how is that impacting housing and investment? Sean Burton (Cityview) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) discussing the forces and fundamentals reshaping urban markets. The conversation moves from post-pandemic population shifts and the surge in AI-driven demand to the regulatory dynamics influencing Southern California development. Highlights include: Why San Francisco may be turning a corner and whether an AI boom can sustain it. How concerns about regulatory risk have chilled investor sentiment in the City of Los Angeles. Where supply–demand imbalances are creating long-term opportunities. What San Diego got right to accelerate permitting and development. The latest progress in rebuilding after the LA County wildfires. More: https://lusk.usc.edu/perspectives
Transcribe →The Promise and Limits of California's Housing Reform
Nov 1901:09:04Tap to summarizeCalifornia's recent wave of pro-housing legislation has opened the door for more development on single-family lots and urban infill sites, but how much progress have we really made? Shane Phillips (UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to trace California's evolving policy landscape, from accessory dwelling units to long-overdue CEQA reform. The conversation moves from the success of recent ADU regulations to the barriers slowing smaller-scale infill and condo development. Cost structures, ownership models, and building standards all shape housing supply. Phillips and Green discuss how policy could better balance affordability, density, and quality of life across Southern California. Highlights include: - Why recent ADU laws succeeded where earlier reforms fell short. - Potential condo liability reforms to encourage smaller-scale housing ownership. - How construction costs constrain "missing middle" infill. - The trade-offs of eliminating single-room occupancy housing in US cities. - How ownership models shape neighborhood attitudes and investment. More Lusk Perspectives UCLA Housing Voice Podcast
Transcribe →From Clicks to Bricks: The Everyday Decisions Rebuilding Retail
Oct 2900:59:18Tap to summarizeHow are retailers adapting to a changing consumer base and evolving real estate needs? Rachel Elias Wein (WeinPlus) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to explore what's next for retail. From data centers to neighborhood shopping centers, consumer behavior is driving change. The conversation spotlights how ownership models, store management, and customer habits are reshaping commercial property strategy. Highlights include: Why some retailers sell off their real estate while others buy it back. How energy access impacts location strategy. What restaurants bring to retail destinations despite tenant turnover risks. The strong link between store-manager tenure and store profitability. Why omnichannel customers are the most valuable, and how real estate plays a role in retention. More: https://lusk.usc.edu/perspectives
Transcribe →Measuring the Shortfall: Benchmarking LA's Housing Crisis
Oct 600:55:28Tap to summarizeWhat do supply numbers tell us about LA County's housing crisis, and how can research guide next steps? Jorge De la Roca (USC Price) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to discuss the findings of the 2025 State of Los Angeles County Housing (SOLACHAN) Report At the center of their conversation is the modern city dilemma: while cities drive economic vitality, they also create steep costs of living. In LA County, permitting delays, demographic shifts, and a mismatch between incomes and supply add up to a housing market that's falling short. Highlights include: Why building a multifamily project in LA takes nearly twice as long as the national average. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are driving new supply, but may not translate to housing. The widening income split between renters. Demographic shifts show fewer families and declining Black residents in LA. Why the favored model of filtering can't take hold at current levels of housing production. Explore the SOLACHAN Report More Lusk Perspectives
Transcribe →Building Through Cycles: It's All Related in California Housing
Sep 1501:01:31Tap to summarizeWhat shaped Related California's approach to housing, and how has it adapted across market shifts? William A. Witte and Gino A. Canori (Related California) join Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to reflect on more than three decades of development, from pioneering uses of tax-exempt bonds to navigating today's capital markets. The conversation begins with policy and finance, including tax credits, bond cap programs, and the long-term value of rehab versus new construction, before moving to operations, the shifting geography of multifamily demand, and today's market reset. Highlights include: - How Related carved out a niche by combining market-rate housing with affordable units under the 80/20 program - Post-COVID shifts in multifamily demand from urban cores to suburban, amenity-rich destinations. - Underwriting is still absorbing the spike in insurance and labor costs while the new normal continues to emerge. - Signs of recovery in San Francisco leasing and investment. -The economics and operational tactics of managing mixed-income buildings. More: http://lusk.usc.edu/perspectives
Transcribe →From Risk to Resilience: Practical Sustainability for Communities
Aug 2201:00:21Tap to summarizeHow can cities adapt to rising climate risks and shifting infrastructure needs? Christopher Boone (Dean, USC Price School of Public Policy) joins Richard K. Green (Director, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to discuss how sustainability and resilience are reshaping housing, cities, and policy. From rebuilding after California wildfires to lessons from London's limited social housing, the wide-ranging conversation highlights the tradeoffs between affordability, risk, and durability facing communities across the US. Highlights include: Why mentors are crucial to career development. The gap between data and difficult decisions to achieve sustainability goals. Fostering resilient communities by addressing jobs and health. Baltimore's unique reversal on neighborhoods exposed to toxic releases. How communities relocate and rebuild after natural disasters and the implications for the recent Los Angeles Eminent domain and the importance of community engagement. Lessons in sustainability from abroad for US policy. More: http://lusk.usc.edu/perspectives
Transcribe →2025 Housing Market: Local Trends in a National Slowdown
Jul 3101:04:50Tap to summarizeSelma Hepp (Cotality) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to unpack the third year of low home sales as affordability and insurance reshape demand across the US. From Florida's downturn to California's inventory bump, the conversation explores local shifts and their contributions to national trends. Hepp also shares how new climate risk tools could change pricing and property insurance in the future. Highlights include: - Why home sales today look worse than in the aftermath of the Great Recession - What makes Austin's home value decline so unique - Why the Midwest and New England lead the nation in home price growth - How climate risk and insurance are impacting migration - The growing role of small investors, especially in housing markets with constrained supply More: http://lusk.usc.edu/perspectives
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