SMNR: Land Use & Environmental Law
- Semester: Fall 2008
- Course ID: 397S
- Credit Hours: 3
-
Unique: 29440
Course Information
- Course Type: Seminar
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Meeting Times
Day | Time | Location |
---|---|---|
THU | 3:30 - 5:20 pm | TNH 3.115 |
Evaluation Method
Type | Date | Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Paper |
Description
This seminar is an in-depth study of land conservation and environmental planning techniques, focusing on the state and local level. Through weekly reading assignments and class discussion, we will investigate comprehensive plans, conservation easements, transferable development rights, development impact fees, mitigation requirements, cluster zoning, and other innovative zoning and planning techniques. We will discuss these measures in the context of several planning end-goals, including watershed and greenbelt protection and the prevention of urban sprawl. We will also briefly cover components of federal regulation that directly impact land use decisions, including USDA conservation payments, restrictions on wetlands development under the Clean Water Act, and Habitat Conservation Plans under the Endangered Species Act. Along the way, we will discuss recent legislative and legal responses to planning measures that intersect and/or clash with individual property rights and community preferences, asking how landowner participation affects the planning process. Students will provide a brief paper topic proposal to the professor, write a paper, and present their initial findings in several in-class fora near the end of the semester.Instructors
Wiseman, Hannah J