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Land Use and Society, Third Edition

Geography, Law, and Public Policy

  • Book
  • © 2014

Overview

Authors:
  1. Rutherford H. Platt

    1. Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA

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  • Third edition is updated with data from the 2010 census, a revised and streamlined survey of the historical context of land use and law, and a discussion of current trends and topics

  • Academically rigorous but accessible core text for upper undergraduate and graduate levels courses in land use planning and policy

  • Author is a well-respected geographer and professor who has served on many national panels and projects

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Table of contents (11 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xi
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  3. Preliminaries: Land, Geography, and Law

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 11-11
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    2. Land Use and Society: Fundamentals and Issues

      • Rutherford H. Platt
      Pages 13-39

    3. Shaping the Human Landscape: The Interaction of Geography and Law

      • Rutherford H. Platt
      Pages 41-64

  4. From Feudalism to Federalism: The Social Organization of Land Use

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 65-65
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    2. Historical Roots of American Land Use Institutions

      • Rutherford H. Platt
      Pages 67-93

    3. Building a Metropolitan Nation: 1900–1940

      • Rutherford H. Platt
      Pages 95-118

    4. The Polarized Metropolis: 1945–2010

      • Rutherford H. Platt
      Pages 119-147

  5. Discordant Voices: The Land Use Decision Process

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 149-149
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    2. Property Rights: The Owner as Planner

      • Rutherford H. Platt
      Pages 151-172

    3. The Patchwork of Local Governments

      • Rutherford H. Platt
      Pages 173-190

    4. Zoning, Regionalism, and Smart Growth

      • Rutherford H. Platt
      Pages 191-212

    5. Land Use and the Courts

      • Rutherford H. Platt
      Pages 213-235

    6. Congress and the Metropolitan Environment

      • Rutherford H. Platt
      Pages 237-263

  6. Back Matter

    Pages 265-305
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Keywords

About this book

The intersection between geography and law is a critical yet often overlooked element of land-use decisions, with a widespread impact on how societies use the land, water, and biodiversity around them. Land Use and Society, Third Edition is a clear and compelling guide to the role of law in shaping patterns of land use and environmental management. Originally published in 1996 and revised in 2004, this third edition has been updated with data from the 2010 U.S. Census and revised with the input of academics and professors to address the changing issues in land use, policy, and law today.

Land Use and Society, Third Edition retains the historical approach of the original text while providing a more concise and topical survey of the evolution of urban land use regulation, from Europe in the Middle Ages through the present day United States. Rutherford Platt examines the “nuts and bolts” of land use decision-making in the present day and analyzes key players, including private landowners, local and national governments, and the courts. This third edition is enhanced by a discussion of the current trends and issues in land use, from urban renewal and demographic shifts in cities to the growing influence of local governance in land use management.

Land Use and Society, Third Edition is a vital resource for any student seeking to understand the intersection between law, politics, and the natural world. While Platt examines specific rules, doctrines, and practices from an American context, an understanding of the role of law in shaping land use decisions will prove vital for students, policymakers, and land use managers around the world.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA

    Rutherford H. Platt

About the author

Rud Platt is Professor of Geography and Planning Law in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He specializes in federal, state, and regional policies concerning land and water resource management and natural disasters. Dr. Platt chairs the National Research Council Roundtable on Natural Disasters and is a member of the NRC Water Science and Technology Board. He has previously served on eight panels of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council, twice as chair. He has participated in many international meetings and has served as consultant to diverse organizations including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment, and the World Bank.

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