Land Use Law in Practice (Witt)
Faculty
|
|
| Thomas Witt Adjunct Professor of Law twitt@cozen.com |
Additional Information
Experiential CourseYes
Skills Training
Oral Presentations
Team Projects
Expository Writing
Grading
20% Participation,
80% Paper
No
Class meets in person.
Course Continuity
Students are encouraged to stay home if you are ill or experience flu-like symptoms. If you miss a class for any reason, it is still your responsibility to make up the work missed.
I offer the following to students who miss class due to illness:
- Class sessions are regularly recorded. I will make these recordings routinely available on the course site to everyone in the class.
Meeting Times/Location
W 9:00AM - 10:50AM
Tanenbaum Hall 253
Category
Upper-Level
Credits
2.0
Prof. Thomas Witt
This course explores the relatively young and evolving field of land use law, seeking to understand the theoretical basis for such regulation, the effects (intended, unintended or perhaps unconsciously intended) of such regulation and the practicalities of land use and development within the legal framework. Among the issues this course will examine are: the law of zoning, the constitutional constraints on land use regulation, and the establishment and enforcement of subdivision and land development controls, and other development regulations. The course will examine several current topics in land use regulation, including exclusionary zoning, environmental justice, smart growth, and historic preservation. Students will approach these questions from both theoretical and practical vantage points, and will be required to conduct research on how land use regulations are implemented in "real world" situations.
Class participation is a requirement of the course. Extensive (productive) class participation is expected and will be a major factor in determining final grades. There will be two written assignments due during the semester.
A requirement of this course is that you attend at least one example of a government hearing or official meeting involving land use and write a paper that analyzes the event in the context of the course materials and discussion. The Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment meets weekly, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and the Philadelphia Historical Commission each meets monthly . You can find the schedule of meetings and hearings at suburban municipalities by going to the municipal websites - most suburban zoning boards and planning commissions meet monthly, on a weekday evening. Your assignment is to describe and analyze the hearing or meeting you attended in a short essay (maximum approximately 3000 words). The essay should engage the legal/governmental issues raised at the hearing and compare and contrast them to the course materials and class discussion. The point of the assignment is to compare the “theory” of land use with the reality of decision-making in the real world. Although it is likely that multiple students will attend the same meeting, the essay must be completed individually. I would like these submitted by October 25th.
Second Writing Assignment – Group Project on a Current Topic in Land Use The second assignment for this class involves two activities: 1) working together in small groups to research and present findings on a narrow land use law question, and; 2) writing, individually, a paper that discusses the topic. Each group will conduct research and make a presentation on their topic that builds upon the issues we have covered in class. Please use the course materials and discussions, as well as research about approaches to the question from this and other regions. I will propose a list of topics, but all are encouraged to suggest a question of interest - all topics must be approved by me in advance. Each group will make a 15-20 minute presentation during class the last week of the semester. Each group should collectively decide what to present and allocate specific responsibilities to each member. For example, if the group is making a PowerPoint presentation (strongly suggested), each group member should be responsible for presenting one or two slides. After the presentation, each member of the class should write - on their own - an essay on the question (or a particular aspect of the question) and the results of their team's research, maximum of approximately 3,000 words. I would like to have these essays by the end of December, and in any event you won't receive your grade until I have your paper!
Business and Corporate Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of business and corporate law; Perform legal analysis in the context of business and corporate law; Communicate effectively on topics related to business and corporate law; Demonstrate an understanding of the interconnection between the world of business and finance and that of business and corporate law, and how they affect other areas of law and society.
Constitutional Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of constitutional law; Perform legal analysis in the context of constitutional law; Communicate effectively on topics related to constitutional law; Demonstrate an understanding of constitutional law affects other areas of law.
Property and Real Estate Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of property and real estate law; Perform legal analysis in the context of property and real estate law; Communicate effectively on topics related to property and real estate law; Demonstrate an understanding of how property and real estate law affect other areas of law.
Environmental Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of environmental law; Perform legal analysis in the context of environmental law; Communicate effectively on topics related to environmental law; Demonstrate an understanding of how environmental law affects other areas of law.
Administrative and Regulatory Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of administrative and regulatory law and the administrative process, including the role of statutory authorization and work of administrative agencies; Perform legal analysis in the context of administrative and regulatory law; Communicate effectively on topics related to administrative and regulatory law; Demonstrate an understanding of the role administrative and regulatory law play in our legal system and in society as a whole.
Equity and Inclusion Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of the varied legal aspects of equity and inclusion; Perform legal analysis in the context of topics related to equity and inclusion; Communicate effectively on the legal aspects of equity and inclusion; Demonstrate an understanding of how equity and inclusion are connected to and affected by a wide variety of legal and regulatory structures and doctrines.