Next month, the ABA Section of State & Local Government Law will be publishing a book by Professor Rachelle Alterman, Takings International: A Comparative Perspective on Land Use Regulations and Compensation Rights:
Everywhere in the world, land use law and regulation affect realproperty values–either increasing or decreasing them. Regulatorytakings is the potential raw nerve of land use regulation, yetpolicymakers and civic groups have tackled the issue without theperspective that a cross-national exchange of ideologies, laws, andpractices can provide.
Takings International is the firstlarge-scale effort devoted to this controversial issue, providing avast platform of comparative knowledge on direct, indirect,categorical, and partial takings. Written for legal professionals,academics, urban and regional planners, real estate developers, andcivil-society groups, the book analyzes thirteen advanced economycountries representing a variety of legal regimes, institutionalstructures, cultures, geographic sizes, and population densities.
Thecomparative prism yields some surprising and counterintuitiveobservations. In a climate of intensifying controversies about propertyand the role of public agencies, the book enables informed debate andprovides all sides with a sense of scale by which to evaluate currentstate practices and propose alternatives.
Takings International is available for pre-order here (SLG members get a discount!). We will post a summary and review once we get a copy.
In conjunction with publication, on April 30, 2010 as part of the Section’s spring meeting in Miami, the SLG’s Condemnation Committee will be presenting a session with Professor Alterman and other panelists to discuss the issues raised by the book. I will be moderating the panel.
Before the meeting, probably some time in January or February, the Condemnation Committee will also be conducting a teleconference for those who are not able to join us in Miami — stay tuned for details.