Land Use and Society Geography

Land Use and Society: Geography, Law, and Public Policy examines the history, current practice, and unmet needs of land use planning and regulation in the United States. Rutherford H. Platt, a geographer and lawyer with over twenty-five years experience in research, teaching, and consulting on land use policy, recounts the evolution of land use management and regulation from its early roots in English common law to contemporary legal approaches and constitutional issues. Topics covered include:

• the interaction of geography and law in land use policy
• historic development of response to urban problems in the nineteenth century
• important land use legal cases in the United States over the past century, including current takings law
• strengths and weaknesses of American experience with zoning laws and related measures
• techniques employed by state and local governments to steer private developers into responsible growth practices
• the protection of wetlands, floodplains, coastal zones, and agricultural areas
• what has been accomplished and what remains inadequately addressed in contemporary urban land use management

Throughout, the author argues that rational planning and controlled exploitation of natural resources are hindered by fragmented jurisdictions of federal, state, local, and municipal regulatory bodies.

"Overall, the book is a solid, easy-to-read overview of land use law and a terrific addition to collections on property rights, land use, geography, and the environment." (Choice)