Themes and Trends in Land Use and Planning Law Research

Book excerpt: Land use and planning law, which to the uninitiated might appear a dry and technical subject, has received increased (and well-deserved) attention in recent years. Land use regulations significantly affect pressing local and national concerns, including housing supply and affordability, regional and national economic growth, social mobility, economic equality, racial integration, and the environment. Growing recognition of the importance of land use and planning law in the United States has given rise to heated discussions regarding the merits of zoning reform, the appropriate scope of local control, the effects of and potential responses to gentrification, and a host of other issues. In this volume leading scholars in law, economics, political science, and planning identify gaps in the existing research regarding specific aspects of land use and planning law and frame questions for future study. In this Introduction, we situate the volume by providing an overview of significant trends in research over the past century. While this Introduction does not exhaust the field, it seeks to provide readers with a representative sample of some of the most influential scholarly work and debates, setting the stage for the chapters that follow.