Case Study: Babcock Place
Case Study: Babcock Place
For this writing assignment due at the end of Week 3, write a short (3-4 page, doublespaced) paper reflecting on the course concepts as they are demonstrated in the case
study “Babcock Place.” This assignment is designed to encourage you to apply concepts
we have been learning so far in the course to a real-life scenario. Your paper should refer
to the course textbook and make use of course concepts. **Remember that the goal of
each course assignment is to demonstrate your understanding of and ability to apply the
course concepts.**
To prepare for writing your analysis:
1. Create the maps/diagrams explained in the Week 3 reading, “A Note on Mapping” from
the perspective of you as a city planning department manager (of the city traffic engineer)
for this Babcock Place case study situation (this situation has lessons that can be applied
more universally – focus on those as well). I understand that your diagrams/maps will be
more basic than those in the example with the minimal facts and background provided.
This is an important step; you will write about your maps/diagrams in your essay.
Try conducting some online research to expand your understanding of similar situations,
public decision making, and planning department roles. For example, visit a city planning
department website, check a city council meeting agenda for a similar issue and review
supporting documents if available, and conduct some online searches for news articles
with keywords such as citizens ask for crosswalk or similar.
2. Reflect on the perspectives of the various direct stakeholders:
Imagine that you are one of the citizens residing at Babcock Place. Think about what
getting a crosswalk means for you and your reaction to the city traffic engineer’s
recommendation. (The traffic engineer is not an elected official, but an employee of the
city’s planning department, which is an agency responsible for advising and implementing
City Council decisions on land use and traffic.)
Now imagine that you are an elected City Council member and must make a decision
about whether to vote in favor of a crosswalk. What values and/or criteria will you use to
make your decision? How will you explain your vote to the residents of Babcock Place or
to other constituents in the city?
Also consider the role of the city council, public organizations, and the perspective of the
city traffic engineer and planning department management in public policy making,
decision making, and implementation processes.
What influence should expert opinions and citizens’ desires have on decisions made by
public entities?
Then, compose an analysis that addresses the following questions and makes clear
connections to the course concepts (with citations for the course materials):
1. Who are the stakeholders in the Babcock Place case situation?
2. What are the external influences on the city planning department and staff (including
other city departments)?
3. What is the authorizing environment, and what are their interests?
4. Are there any opportunities for collaboration to solve this situation?
5. What are the main challenges for the city planning department management and city
engineer in this situation?
6. How might the city planning department management and city engineer best balance
the values and performance criteria for government organizations listed in Exhibit 4.3 (p.
99 in the Rainey text) light of the external influences within this policy making and decision
making situation?
This essay is a formal writing assignment and will be graded as such. See the “Grading
Rubrics” and APA Style Guide links on the left hand side of your menu for guidance about
how to structure your paper and cite your sources in APA format.
Include a cover page and include a full reference page and proper APA parenthetical
citations. You do NOT need an abstract.
Rainey, Hal G. 2014. Understanding and Managing Public Organizations. 5th ed. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 111858371X
