This course provides a practice-oriented introduction to various elements of land use and real estate development law. Students will be exposed to the ways that the use and development of real property is regulated, with an eye toward the constitutional and private property foundations upon which land use regulation is based. Specific attention will be given to regulatory tools for obtaining and preserving development approvals, subdivision control and mapping, and the assessment of environmental impacts under statutory regimes like the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Topics will also include the interplay between local and state-level land use regulation, regional land use concerns and special subjects of topical importance such as resource management, sustainability and housing. Attention will also be given to private land use regulation. Course concepts and principles will be introduce and examined using case law, statutory interpretation and administrative processing, and will be reinforced with examination of case study examples.
The course will meet once weekly, and each class session will be divided into a traditional lecture component and a “lab” session in which students will undertake specific practice-oriented tasks including entitlements analysis, land use feasibility reviews, and evaluation of entitlements pathways. Some sessions will incorporate guest speakers from a variety of specialties within the land use field.
