Google Reason
EMAIL UPDATES
Get Weekly Updates

REASON JOB POSTINGS
ANNUAL
PRIVATIZATION
REPORT 2007
PRIVATIZATION
WATCH
REASON MAGAZINE
TOPICS
SUPPORT REASON

Reason's Samuel Staley discusses growth and housing at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Reason's Samuel Staley discusses growth and housing at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Growth and Land Use Policy

"The think tank, which has the ear of the Bush administration on environmental and economic policy issues, has taken a skeptical view of government efforts to contain sprawl." - The Columbian

Eminent Domain Isn't the Only Way Governments Hurt Homeowners
Land use regulations and restrictions often block owners from
using their own land and send property values plummeting

For decades state governments have been implementing zoning and land use regulations that limit property rights and prevent owners from using their land in ways they had intended. At the same time, bureaucrats have become increasingly bold and aggressive in using eminent domain to take private property. These trends, already devastating to many homeowners, were further bolstered by the Supreme Court's Kelo decision allowing the government to seize private homes for private economic development. Now, taxpayers have reached a boiling point and are demanding that their property rights be protected. A new Reason Foundation study shows how state lawmakers can shield property owners against both eminent domain abuses and the land use regulations that often cause severe financial losses by eroding property values.

» Press Release
» Full Study (.pdf)


Growth and Land Use
Policy Experts


Samuel Staley
Director of Urban Growth and Land Use Policy

Leonard Gilroy
Director of Government Reform

Adrian Moore
Vice President, Research

Media Contact


Chris Mitchell
Director of Communications
(310) 367-6109


Policy Studies


Statewide Growth Management and Housing Affordability in Florida
October 2007
By Leonard C. Gilroy, Samuel R. Staley, and Sara Stedron
 » Full Text (.pdf)

Statewide Regulatory Takings Reform: Exporting Oregon's Measure 37 to Other States
April 2006
By Leonard C. Gilroy
 » Full Study (.pdf)
 » Press Release

New Approaches to Affordable Housing
May 2005
By Chris Fiscelli
 » Full Text (.pdf)

Eminent Domain, Private Property, and Redevelopment: An Economic Analysis
February 2005
By Samuel Staley and John P. Blair
 » Full Study (.pdf)
 » Policy Summary
 » Press Release

Affordable Housing in Monterrey County: Analyzing the General Plan Update and Applied Development Economics Report
August 2004
By Benjamin Powell, Edward Stringham, and Adam Summers
 » Full Study (.pdf)

Do Affordable Housing Mandates Work? Evidence from Los Angeles County and Orange County
June 2004
By Benjamin Powell and Edward Stringham
 » Full Study (.pdf)

Housing Supply and Affordability: Do Affordable Housing Mandates Work?
April 2004
By Benjamin Powell and Edward Stringham
 » Full Study (.pdf)
 » Policy Summary (.pdf)
 » Talking Points (.pdf)

Great Rail Disasters: The Impact of Rail Transit on Urban Livability
February 2004
By Randal O'Toole
 » Full Study (.pdf)
 » Policy Summary (.pdf)

Are We Paving Paradise?
January 2004
By Randal O'Toole
 » Full Study (.pdf)

Transportation Costs and the American Dream
September 2003
By Randal O'Toole
 » Full Study (.pdf)

Smart Growth in Action, Part II: Case Studies in Housing Capacity and Development from Ventura County, California
May 2003
By Geoffrey Segal, William Fulton, Susan Weaver, and Lily Okamura
 » Full Study (.pdf)

 

More Growth and Land Use Policy Studies

Commentary


Politicians Must Ignore Urge to "Do Something" About Housing Woes
Officials can do little but ride out housing market crash
April 15, 2008 | Los Angeles Business Journal
By Sam Staley, Reason
 » Full Text

Cities Can Sell Abandoned Homes in Blocks
Urban revitalization needs to be based on economic realities
March 23, 2008 | Indianapolis Star
By Sam Staley, Reason
 » Full Text

Is Housing "Crisis" Causing a Recession?
Growing the economy, not more regulation, is the key to ending the housing slump
January 22, 2008 | Reason.org
By Sam Staley, Reason
 » Full Text

The Chilling Effect of the Schwarzenegger-Bush Freeze
Mortgage assistance plans don't fix the problem
December 6, 2007 | Flash Report
By George Passantino, Reason
 » Full Text

Stadium Doesn't Guarantee Economic Gains
Oceanside taxpayers should ask serious questions about proposed Chargers stadium
July 1, 2007 | North County Times
By Leonard Gilroy and Sam Staley, Reason
 » Full Text

Florida Hometown Democracy Offers a Roadblock to Growth and Opportunity
Proposed initiative would threaten affordable housing, state economy, property rights
June 4, 2007 | Tallahassee Democrat
By Leonard Gilroy, Reason
 » Full Text

Legislative Proposals on GSE Reforms
Testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services
March 15, 2007 | Testimony
By Michael Flynn, Reason
 » Full Text

5 Myths About Suburbia and Our Car-Happy Culture
Congestion crisis is here, but filled with misinformation
January 28, 2007 | Washington Post
By Ted Balaker and Sam Staley, Reason
 » Full Text

A City Without a Plan
Houston should be wary of the perils of planning
December 31, 2006 | Houston Chronicle
By Leonard Gilroy, Reason and Tory Gattis
 » Full Text

Delhi Dilemma
Will anti-business planners improve quality of life?
December 19, 2006 | The Wall Street Journal
By Shikha Dalmia, Reason
 » Full Text

Protecting Property Rights in a Landslide
Voters in nine states pass measures to curb eminent domain abuse
November 8, 2006 | Reason.org
By Leonard Gilroy, Reason
 » Full Text

Beware the Bogus Measure 37 Poll
Biased poll is an "October surprise" intended to deceive voters, taint debate on property rights measures
October 27, 2006 | Reason.org
By Leonard Gilroy, Reason
 » Full Text

Fairness Takes Back Seat With School Impact Fees
New residents should not bear the burden of financing new schools
October 6, 2006 | Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By Leonard Gilroy, Reason
 » Full Text

Growth Buffers Are Wrong Tool for Indiana Planners
Plan will likely prevent local housing market from meeting emerging housing demands
August 16, 2006 | Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette
By Samuel Staley, Reason
 » Full Text

Suburban Style Evolution
McDonald's, Wal-Mart, and tract homes are making many in suburbia very happy
August 16, 2006 | Reason.org
By Ted Balaker, Reason
 » Full Text

The Western Property Rights Wildfire
Western voters to decide whether to rein in government control of land use, eminent domain
August 9, 2006 | Reason.org
By Leonard Gilroy, Reason
 » Full Text

The Politics of Sky-High House Prices
How government jacks up the price of owning your home
July 2006 | Reason.com
By Joel Miller
 » Full Text

Supreme Court Issues Murky Decision in Wetlands Case
Decision fails to provide a check on federal authority to regulate private property
June 29, 2006 | Reason.org
By Leonard Gilroy, Reason
 » Full Text

States Take Action To Protect Property Rights
Oregon's Measure 37 has inspired a national property rights movement
May 8, 2006 | Planetizen.com
By Leonard Gilroy, Reason
 » Full Text

What Jane Jacobs Really Saw
Today's urban planners falsely claim her legacy
May 2, 2006 | Wall Street Journal
By Leonard Gilroy, Reason
 » Full Text

 

More Growth and Land Use Policy Op-Eds and Commentaries



Home Contact Reason Support Reason

© 2006 The Reason Foundation. All rights reserved.
3415 S. Sepulveda Blvd. Suite 400 Los Angeles, CA 90034 (310) 391-2245
Please email feedback@reason.org if you have questions about this Web site.