This course offers an in-depth examination of the principal methods of public control of private land. We will begin with the history of land use regulation and discuss the judicial doctrines of nuisance and eminent domain. The course will cover traditional zoning tools and strategies such as spot zoning, floating zones, nonconforming uses, variances and special exceptions. The course will also examine the role of comprehensive planning and how governments are using these plans to create sustainable development. Students will be assigned a local governmental entity in Maryland and be expected to understand that jurisdiction’s local planning strategies. Throughout the course, we will engage the central questions of why we have land use and sustainable development laws and whether these laws are accomplishing the goals and forming the communities they were developed to achieve. P: Property