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Full-Text Articles in Law

Powerpoint- Setback Speech, Michael Lewyn Jun 2017

Powerpoint- Setback Speech, Michael Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

Setback regulations often require that all buildings be a certain amount of feet (usually about 25-50 feet from the street).  As a result of these zoning rules, all destinations outside the most urban areas have to place either parking or useless green spaces between the street and a store, office building or residence.
 
I argue that these regulations make walking more difficult, for four reasons.  First, pedestrians have to waste time walking through these empty spaces.  Second, walking through a sea of parking is simply no fun.  Pedestrians tend to enjoy shade and a sense of enclosure, so they …


Does The Threat Of Gentrification Justify Restrictive Zoning?, Michael Lewyn Dec 2016

Does The Threat Of Gentrification Justify Restrictive Zoning?, Michael Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

Historically, progressives have opposed restrictive zoning, arguing that by restricting the housing supply to high-end housing, zoning reduces the supply of housing available to lower-income Americans. But recently, some progressives have suggested that new market-rate housing facilitates gentrification and displacement of lower-income renters. This article critically examines that theory.


Further Developments In Land Use Ethics, Patricia E. Salkin, Darren Stakey May 2016

Further Developments In Land Use Ethics, Patricia E. Salkin, Darren Stakey

Patricia E. Salkin

Ethical considerations continue to play a fundamental role in shaping the course of land use and developmental regulatory proceedings throughout the country. From an innocuous donation by one public official to his alma mater, to the outright bribery of a former mayor, the past year has been rife with a range of conduct implicating professional responsibility and land use.


Recent Developments In Land Use Ethics, Patricia E. Salkin Apr 2016

Recent Developments In Land Use Ethics, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

Current events across the country reveal no shortage of allegations of unethical conduct in the land use review process. Sadly, there are countless other media accounts of alleged and proven conflicts of interest and other ethical misconduct. In this annual review of reported decisions involving ethics in land use, recent decisions are discussed in the hopes that municipal attorneys will use this information as the basis of ongoing training for members of planning boards, zoning boards, and local legislative bodies who must be routinely reminded of not only their legal but ethical responsibilities in upholding the public trust.


Land Use Regulation (2d Ed.), Stewart E. Sterk, Eduardo M. Penalver, Sara C. Bronin Dec 2015

Land Use Regulation (2d Ed.), Stewart E. Sterk, Eduardo M. Penalver, Sara C. Bronin

Sara C. Bronin

This casebook offers a concise, user-friendly presentation of land use law which incorporates a focus on critical thinking and practice throughout. The casebook devotes an entire chapter to complex and realistic scenarios that provide students an opportunity to bring to bear what they have learned throughout the semester to solve challenging legal and strategic problems. New materials in the second edition ensure that students will become familiar with the latest trends in land use law. Attached is the table of contents.


Is An Apartment A Nuisance?, Michael Lewyn Dec 2014

Is An Apartment A Nuisance?, Michael Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

In an ongoing Texas lawsuit, some homeowners allege that a nearby apartment building will constitute a nuisance. This article asserts that courts should generally reject nuisance claims against multifamily housing, based on the public interest in favor of increased housing supply and infill development.


Shared Spatial Regulating In Sharing Economy Districts, Michael N. Widener Dec 2014

Shared Spatial Regulating In Sharing Economy Districts, Michael N. Widener

Michael N. Widener

This paper deals with how local governments should address the impact on neighborhood dwellers and zoning district regulatory schemes of an influx of myriad varieties of new sharing-economy entrepreneurs.


Begone, Euclid! Landlord Custom And Zoning Provision Engaging Retail Consumer Tastes And Technologies In Thriving Urban Centers, Michael N. Widener Dec 2014

Begone, Euclid! Landlord Custom And Zoning Provision Engaging Retail Consumer Tastes And Technologies In Thriving Urban Centers, Michael N. Widener

Michael N. Widener

Technology capacity and innovations conflate notions of private and public spaces; the latter today incorporate the Internet “lane,” while private spaces seek access to that pathway. Merchants and their landlords seemingly find themselves in a paradox. They must embrace consumer technology expectations to populate mercantile premises as public spaces. At the same time, merchants must make stores and restaurants places of novelty to grip the attention of customers seeking to share the intimacy of their experience with everyone. Technology presents physical retailing with its greatest threat while potentially becoming its strongest ally if properly channeled. Advocates for urban centers’ sustained …


A Framework For Understanding Property Regulation And Land Use Control From A Dynamic Perspective, Donald J. Kochan Dec 2014

A Framework For Understanding Property Regulation And Land Use Control From A Dynamic Perspective, Donald J. Kochan

Donald J. Kochan

Our land use control system operates across a variety of multidimensional and dynamic categories. Learning to navigate within and between these categories requires an appreciation for their interconnected, dynamic, and textured components and an awareness of alternative mechanisms for achieving one’s land use control preferences and one’s desired ends. Whether seeking to minimize controls as a property owner or attempting to place controls on the land uses of another, one should take time to understand the full ecology of the system. This Article looks at four broad categories of control: (1) no controls, or the state of nature; (2) judicial …


Rathkopf's The Law Of Zoning & Planning, Sara Bronin, Dwight Merriam Dec 2013

Rathkopf's The Law Of Zoning & Planning, Sara Bronin, Dwight Merriam

Sara C. Bronin

Provides detailed coverage of zoning and planning with case law, including constitutional and statutory limitations on government zoning and planning powers, remedies for wrongful land use regulation, rezoning issues, and subdivision restrictions. Discusses tort actions and governmental immunities, especially beneficial in litigation, and provides extensive footnoting for state-specific referencing. Examines evolving issues such as: floodplain and wetlands regulation, growth management, regulation of hazardous wastes, historic preservation laws, variances, building permits, housing laws, restrictions on manufactured housing, private covenants, regulation of adult entertainment businesses, and regulation of religious land use. Provides procedural information, detailed index, and Table of Cases.


Defining “Family” For Zoning: Contemporary Policy Challenges, Legal Limits And Options, Tim Iglesias Dec 2013

Defining “Family” For Zoning: Contemporary Policy Challenges, Legal Limits And Options, Tim Iglesias

Tim Iglesias

Single family zones are ubiquitous, diversely-defined and both popular and controversial. Much of the controversy stems from who is excluded from living in these zones by the definition of “family.” After reviewing single family zones, policy rationales for them, and the basic types of definitions of family, this article surveys contemporary policy challenges and legal limits to definitions of “family.” Recognizing localities’ diverse contexts, the article articulates how localities can reassess their definitions and identifies relevant considerations.


Implementation Of The Apa Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook: Beginning To Benchmark Success, Patricia Salkin May 2013

Implementation Of The Apa Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook: Beginning To Benchmark Success, Patricia Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

No abstract provided.


The Next Generation Of Planning & Zoning Enabling Acts Is On The Horizon: 2002 Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook Is A Must-Read For Land Use Practitioners, Patricia E. Salkin May 2013

The Next Generation Of Planning & Zoning Enabling Acts Is On The Horizon: 2002 Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook Is A Must-Read For Land Use Practitioners, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

No abstract provided.


Planning For Conflicts Of Interest In Land Use Decisionmaking: The Use Of Alternate Members Of Planning And Zoning Boards, Patricia E. Salkin May 2013

Planning For Conflicts Of Interest In Land Use Decisionmaking: The Use Of Alternate Members Of Planning And Zoning Boards, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

No abstract provided.


Zoning For Home Occupations: Modernizing Zoning Codes To Accommodate Growth In Home-Based Businesses, Patricia E. Salkin May 2013

Zoning For Home Occupations: Modernizing Zoning Codes To Accommodate Growth In Home-Based Businesses, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

This article offers readers ideas and examples of ways to modernize local zoning laws to balance the growing demand by residents to engage in legitimate home-based businesses while protecting community character and the health, safety, and welfare of neighbors in residential zoning districts.


The Quiet Revolution And Federalism: Into The Future, Patricia E. Salkin May 2013

The Quiet Revolution And Federalism: Into The Future, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

This Article offers an examination of the federal role in land use planning and regulation set in the context of varying theories of federalism by presenting a historical and modern overview of the increasing federal influence in local land use planning and regulation, specifically highlighting how federal statutes and programs impact local municipal decision making in the area of land use planning. Part II provides a brief introduction into theories of federalism and their application to local land use regulation in the United States. Part III provides a brief overview of federal legislation in the United States which affected local …


Environmental Justice And Land Use Planning And Zoning, Patricia E. Salkin May 2013

Environmental Justice And Land Use Planning And Zoning, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

No abstract provided.


Ensuring Continuing Community Amenities Through Golf Course Redevelopment, Patricia E. Salkin May 2013

Ensuring Continuing Community Amenities Through Golf Course Redevelopment, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

This article examines some of the issues faced by municipalities hoping to preserve their golf courses or to ensure their strategic redevelopment and focuses on how local governments can most effectively employ planning and zoning techniques to ensure that community amenities, including affordable housing and recreational areas, are an important part of golf course redevelopment projects.


States Beginning To Recognize That Training Is Essential For Members Of Planning And Zoning Boards And Local Legislative Bodies, Patricia E. Salkin May 2013

States Beginning To Recognize That Training Is Essential For Members Of Planning And Zoning Boards And Local Legislative Bodies, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

Members of planning and zoning boards and local legislative bodies constantly make decisions that may be worth millions of dollars to applicants and that may have serious impacts on public health and safety. Unlike other players in the land use decision making process members of local legislative bodies and land use boards have no specific education or training in land use matters prior to their election or appointment putting them in the position to learn solely from “on the job training”. Five (5) states currently require mandatory training and continuing education courses for members of planning boards and zoning boards …


Examining Land Use Planning And Zoning Ethics From A Planner’S Perspective: Lessons For All Stakeholders In The Real Estate Game, Patricia E. Salkin May 2013

Examining Land Use Planning And Zoning Ethics From A Planner’S Perspective: Lessons For All Stakeholders In The Real Estate Game, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

This article examines the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Only two states, Michigan and New Jersey, license planners as a profession. This makes ability for planners to achieve certification from the AICP important and raises the prominence of the AICP Code of Ethics, since as a condition of membership, each AICP member agrees to abide by the Code.


Ethics In Land Use: Using Ethical Allegations As A Sword Rather Than A Shield, Patricia E. Salkin May 2013

Ethics In Land Use: Using Ethical Allegations As A Sword Rather Than A Shield, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

No abstract provided.


Effective Disaster Mitigation Depends Upon Well-Coordinated Local Land Use Planning And Zoning, Patricia E. Salkin May 2013

Effective Disaster Mitigation Depends Upon Well-Coordinated Local Land Use Planning And Zoning, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

No abstract provided.


Neighborhood Empowerment And The Future Of The City, Kenneth Stahl Dec 2012

Neighborhood Empowerment And The Future Of The City, Kenneth Stahl

Kenneth Stahl

In any given metropolitan region, there are scores of municipalities locked in a zero-sum struggle for mobile sources of jobs and tax revenue. This competition appears to advantage small, homogenous suburbs over large, diverse cities because the former can directly enact the uniform will of the electorate rather than becoming ensnarled in conflict between competing interest groups. Cities can level the playing field with suburbs, however, by devolving municipal power to smaller, more homogenous subgroups within the city, such as neighborhoods. Indeed, one such effort at neighborhood empowerment, the “business improvement district,” (BID) has been widely identified as a key …


Framing Inclusionary Zoning: Exploring The Legality Of Local Inclusionary Zoning And Its Potential To Meet Affordable Housing Needs, Tim Iglesias Dec 2012

Framing Inclusionary Zoning: Exploring The Legality Of Local Inclusionary Zoning And Its Potential To Meet Affordable Housing Needs, Tim Iglesias

Tim Iglesias

Whether local inclusionary zoning (IZ) ordinances can make significant contributions towards meeting affordable housing needs depends in large part on its legality. Courts have not developed a consistent jurisprudence regarding IZ ordinances. The legality of IZ ordinances depends upon how they are framed by the governments who enact them, the opponents who challenge them, and the courts that decide the cases. After a brief introduction, this article explores why framing is possible and likely in judicial review of IZ as well as why it matters. Next, the article analyzes the case law to demonstrate how framing has operated to affect …


Squaring The Circle On Sprawl: What More Can We Do?: Progress Towards Sustainable Land Use In The States, Patricia E. Salkin Jul 2012

Squaring The Circle On Sprawl: What More Can We Do?: Progress Towards Sustainable Land Use In The States, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

With almost ten years of nationwide dialogue and experimentation with the legal implementation of smart growth concepts at the state and local levels, this paper pauses to consider whether and to what extent success has been realized. The one certainty in this dynamic intersection of land development and conservation is that there is no one best model adaptable to all fifty states. Rather, to accommodate national diversity in local government structure, cultural relationships of people to the land, and differences in geography and a sense of place, the best lesson learned is that advocates and lawmakers alike must shape and …


Integrating Local Waterfront Revitalization Into Local Comprehensive Planning And Zoning, Patricia E. Salkin Jul 2012

Integrating Local Waterfront Revitalization Into Local Comprehensive Planning And Zoning, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

By 2004, more than half of the United States population resided within fifty miles of the coastline, contributing to the mounting pressures on waterfront development. Local waterfront revitalization plans have great potential to efficiently guide community and coastal development in a coordinated fashion across municipal boundaries. Coordination includes intermunicipal and intergovernmental cooperation and consistency as well as coordination between planning and land use controls within the coastal zone and within the boundaries of coastal communities. Part I of this article examines the history of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA)with a particular examination of the Act's impact on local comprehensive …


Smart Growth At Century’S End: The State Of The States, Patricia E. Salkin Jul 2012

Smart Growth At Century’S End: The State Of The States, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

No abstract provided.


Introduction (Symposium On Municipal Liability), Patricia E. Salkin Jul 2012

Introduction (Symposium On Municipal Liability), Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

No abstract provided.


Exclusionary Zoning Enforcement, Passé Or Alive And Kicking?, Tim Iglesias Feb 2012

Exclusionary Zoning Enforcement, Passé Or Alive And Kicking?, Tim Iglesias

Tim Iglesias

This article reviews several recent state cases challenging zoning actions as exclusionary. It identifies patterns in the cases and finds that under certain circumstances courts will limit local governments’ exclusionary actions.


The Quiet Revolution Revived: Sustainable Design, Land Use Regulation, And The States, Sara Bronin Dec 2007

The Quiet Revolution Revived: Sustainable Design, Land Use Regulation, And The States, Sara Bronin

Sara C. Bronin

Thirty-seven years ago, a book called The Quiet Revolution in Land Use Control argued that states would soon take over localities' long-held power over land use regulation. In the authors' view, this quiet revolution would occur when policymakers and the public recognized that certain problems - like environmental destruction - were too big for localities to handle on their own. Although the quiet revolution has not yet occurred, this Article suggests that it will, and should, occur alongside the ever-growing green building movement. This movement presents practical and ideological challenges to our current system of regulating land use. This Article …