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Introduction to the Quadruple Bottom Line of Real Estate Development

A free course offered by the College of Architecture & the Built Environment

This free 4-session introductory course offers a deep dive into our quadruple bottom line ethos of people, planet, profit and placemaking. The course starts by learning the eight stages of the sustainable real estate development process. In each session participants dive into the components of people, planet, profit and placemaking. The course culminates with project case studies that exemplify the quadruple bottom line of real estate development.

This free course will offer the opportunity to learn as you would in Jefferson's MS in Real Estate Development courses. Short weekly readings, recorded lectures, guest speakers and weekly quizzes are provided. Participants will get to engage with each other and instructors through an online discussion board.

Monday, April 8 - Monday, April 29, 2024
12:30 to 1:30 pm EST

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This course is designed as a valuable standalone course to refresh your career, or as the beginning of your journey in sustainable real estate development. The course is open and available to everyone. 

While this free course does not qualify for college credit, the course format and curriculum incorporate content from our graduate level, for-credit courses in the MS in Real Estate Development program. Participants that complete the entire 4-session course will receive a Course Certificate.

This course, like the MS in Real Estate Development at Thomas Jefferson University, is designed for both mid-level professionals and people starting their real estate development career.

Course Outline & Schedule

The course meets Monday, April 8 to Monday, April 29, 2024 from 12:30 to 1:30 pm EST. The course will be hosted on the Canvas platform and once registered you will receive login information to obtain the course materials. You will receive a certificate upon completion of the course.
 
  • Session 1: People: Intentional Social Equity, Affordability, Health and Well-Being—This week we study how social equity, affordability, health and well-being can be supported by the buildings we inhabit through intentional decisions made by developers and their partners. We will reflect on the segregated past of the industry and the social disparity that has resulted. We will study how consumers of real estate drive what developers build; through demand, demographics and trends in addition to public policy, industry practices and the goals of developers and communities.
  • Session 2: Planet: Radical Sustainability & Resiliency—This week we study how responsible development demands radical sustainability as the impacts of climate change and globalization have led the industry to create more resilient and adaptable cities, communities and buildings.
  • Session 3: Profit: The Basics of Real Estate Finance—This week focuses on the basics of real estate finance to build vocabulary and knowledge of how developments are valued, leveraged, invested in and evaluated. We will study how the intentional inclusion of the quadruple bottom line are interwoven within financial assumptions and are the developer’s compass for decision making.
  • Session 4: Placemaking: Development Outcomes that Serve the Community—The design of the built environment is crucial to the future of our communities. Placemaking is about how developers integrate community input, work with the existing context and build buildings and amenities that will positively influence the future of the community as a whole. How can developers transform project amenities into community assets and what are the benefits of creative placemaking? 

Course Faculty

Howard Ways, III, Associate Professor, Program Director

Howard Ways, III is an Associate Professor and Program Director of the MS in Real Estate Development program. He has nearly 30 years of experience in urban planning, real estate development, affordable housing and architecture and has managed over $900 million of real estate and public facilities projects.

For questions and to learn more, please contact Madelyn Koch at Madelyn.Koch@jefferson.edu.