Law Commons^™

Yes, Thankfully, Euclid Lives, Charles M. Haara, Michael Allan Wolf

Michael A Wolf

Professors Haar and Wolf reiterate their endorsement of Progressive jurisprudence, as embodied in the Supreme Court's opinion in Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co., despite Professor Eric Claeys's effort to expose the political theory underlying Progressive legal thought. They highlight problems with Professor Claeys's portrayal of the actual practice of zoning and with his use of history, problems that seriously undercut Professor Claeys's findings regarding the political beliefs of early zoning and planning advocates, the evolution of zoning law in the courts, and the role natural law played in American legal history.

What Every Land Use Lawyer Should Know About The Emerging Use Of Health Impact Assessment And Land Use Decision Making, Patricia E. Salkin, Pamela Ko

Patricia E. Salkin

The field of Health Impact Assessment is relatively new to the United States, but already a number of state and local governments are incorporating these assessments into land use planning and decision making. In five years, the use of HIA in the U.S. has increased dramatically with more than 100 HIAs completed or in progress in the U.S. from 2007 to 2010. This article provides a brief overview of HIA in the United States, describes how it is being used in other states with respect to land use decision making, and examines how HIA is starting to be incorporated into …

Regional Governments And Coastal Zone Management In Louisiana, Kathleen W. Marcel, Joseph T. Bockrath

Joseph Bockrath

No abstract provided.

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.

Requiem For Regulation, Garrett Power

Garrett Power

This comment reviews U.S. Supreme Court decisions over the past 100 years which have considered the constitutional limitations on governmental powers. It finds that at the three-quarter mark of the 20th century, a remarkable set of Court precedents had swollen the regulatory powers of governments while shrinking private rights to property and contract. But since the Reagan years, a more conservative Court has undertaken to curtail governmental activity in general, and to limit federal, state, and local planning in particular. A number of 5-4 decisions expanded private property rights and contracted the scope of the federal “commerce power.” The comment …

2014 Planetizen Blog Posts, Michael Lewyn

Michael E Lewyn

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.

Unbundling Homeownership: Regional Reforms From The Inside Out, Nicole Stelle Garnett

Nicole Stelle Garnett

Two vexing puzzles plague American land use regulators. The first puzzle is how to protect property owners from harmful spillovers without unduly stifling land use diversity. The dominant forms of land use regulation in the United States - zoning and private covenants - rely on ex ante prohibitions. Yet, since local governments and private developers rarely can calibrate the level of regulation to residents’ true preferences, the costs imposed by these regulations tend to exceed the benefits of actual harm prevention. The result is the over-protection of property owners and, and, many would argue, a monotonous, sterile, inefficient, and inconvenient …

A Room Of One's Own? Accessory Dwelling Unit Reforms And Local Parochialism, Margaret F. Brinig, Nicole Stelle Garnett

Nicole Stelle Garnett

Over the past decade, a number of state and local governments have amended land use regulations to permit the accessory dwelling units (“ADUs”) on single-family lots. Measured by raw numbers of reforms, the campaign to secure legal reforms permitting ADUs appears to be a tremendous success. The question remains, however, whether these reforms overcome the well-documented land-use parochialism that has, for decades, represented a primary obstacle to increasing the supply of affordable housing. In order to understand more about their actual effects, this Article examines ADU reforms in a context which ought to predict a minimal level of local parochialism. …

On Castles And Commerce: Zoning Law And The Home Business Dilemma, Nicole Stelle Garnett

Nicole Stelle Garnett

Most zoning laws severely restrict residents' ability to work from home. Some prohibit it outright. These regulations serve the ostensible purpose of protecting neighbors from externalities that might be generated by home businesses. But, home occupation restrictions also reflect in a particularly sharp way the central motivating ideology underlying all zoning laws - namely, that the good life requires the careful segregation of work and home. Today, home business regulations are being challenged by both planning theory and economic reality. At the same time that many in the academy and planning professions are calling into question zoning's pervasive segregation of …

Ordering (And Order In) The City, Nicole Stelle Garnett

Nicole Stelle Garnett

Over the past two decades, the broken windows hypothesis by George Kelling and James Q. Wilson has revolutionized thinking about urban policy. This now-familiar theory is that uncorrected manifestations of disorder, even minor ones like broken windows, signal a breakdown in the social order that accelerates neighborhood decline. The response to this theory has been a proliferation of policies focusing on public order. Largely missing from the academic debate about these developments is a discussion of the complex and important role of property regulation in order-maintenance efforts. This Article attempts to fill that property law gap in the public-order puzzle …

A Room Of One's Own? Accessory Dwelling Unit Reforms And Local Parochialism, Margaret F. Brinig, Nicole Stelle Garnett

Margaret F Brinig

Over the past decade, a number of state and local governments have amended land use regulations to permit the accessory dwelling units (“ADUs”) on single-family lots. Measured by raw numbers of reforms, the campaign to secure legal reforms permitting ADUs appears to be a tremendous success. The question remains, however, whether these reforms overcome the well-documented land-use parochialism that has, for decades, represented a primary obstacle to increasing the supply of affordable housing. In order to understand more about their actual effects, this Article examines ADU reforms in a context which ought to predict a minimal level of local parochialism. …

1998 Survey Of Ethics In Land-Use Planning, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

No abstract provided.

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

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

Patricia E. Salkin

No abstract provided.

Relationships, The Rules Of Professional Conduct And Land Use: Ethical Quagmires For Land Use Attorneys, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

This article begins to fill the void by introducing the application of the various Rules of Professional Conduct, as adopted by the specific opining jurisdiction, through a review of the relevant reported opinions of the various committees and sometimes courts, in the land use context. Part I discusses the challenges that arise for lawyers vis-à-vis their clients in the land use context. This is followed by a discussion in Part II of the ethics and professionalism issues that confront lawyers who serve on local boards.

2002 U.S. Supreme Court Term Includes Zoning Referendum Case, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

No abstract provided.

The Key To Unlocking The Power Of Small Scale Renewable Energy: Local Land Use Regulation, Patricia Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

Myriad federal and state programs have been promoted to incentivize the research and development of renewable energy as a means of achieving sustainability and producing more affordable alternative energy systems, and these programs could potentially have a profound impact on the way that electricity is produced and consumed in the United States. Small-scale renewable energy generation from sources such as solar and wind, that can be used at the consumer level as a source of power for homes and small businesses, is an important part of this paradigm shift. However, regardless of the fiscal incentives offered to clean-tech companies to …

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.

American Law Of Zoning, Patricia Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

No abstract provided.

Law Of The Land – Year In Review, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

This column reviews trends and interesting cases in land use law as reported on “Law of the Land” during the last half of 2007. “Law of the Land” is a blog created to be of interest to land use lawyers, planners, developers, professors, and students. The blog is updated daily with a review of a recent land use case decided by a state or federal court. In addition, the site has reported on relevant gubernatorial executive orders, offered book reviews, and occasionally starts a discussion on current events issues, such as climate change and has led to robust debate about …

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 …

New York Zoning Law And Practice, 4th Edition, Patricia Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

This resource discusses the creation and enforcement of state zoning regulations, including organizational and substantive changes and updates. All phases of zoning, planning, subdivision control, and the evolution of land-use controls are covered with respect to administrative and judicial considerations. Hundreds of cases noted in previous annual supplements have been integrated into the text, as well as new chapters on issues impacting the field. Includes extensive forms, zoning definitions, ordinance and charter provisions, and web sites of interest to land-use lawyers.

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

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

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 …

Abandonment, Discontinuance And Amortization Of Nonconforming Uses: Lessons For Drafters Of Zoning Regulations, Patricia E. Salkin

Patricia E. Salkin

Observing that a disproportionate number of reported cases highlighted inn the Law of the Land blog (www.lawoftheland.wordpress.com) are opinions addressing the subject of nonconforming uses, this column attempts to unravel some of the legal issues that stem from poor drafting of these provisions in zoning regulations, and demonstrates options for practitioners and drafters to better regulate for the eventual disappearance of nonconformities.

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

Patricia E. Salkin

No abstract provided.