This Land is your Land: Land and Property in America

Conflicts over land use are among the most contentious in America. Much is at stake: private property rights, the public good, the character of communities, environmental quality ? even the very definition of nature itself. In this class we will analyze recent land use controversies, including suburban and rural sprawl, urban redevelopment, and conflicts over the management of public lands. Readings will include essays on the contested meanings of land and property as well as political economic analyses of the American land use system. Students will be asked to write interpretive essays on the various meanings attached to land as well as more analytical papers on the politics of property and land use. Each student will also undertake independent research on a specific land use controversy of his or her choice. PRJ, REA, WRI