The Case for Megapolitan Growth Management in the 21st Century: Regional Urban Planning and Sustainable Development in the United States

The Urban Lawyer, Vol. 41, No. 1, 2009

U Denver Legal Studies Research Paper No. 08-24

37 Pages Posted: 20 Nov 2008 Last revised: 28 Sep 2014

See all articles by Edward H. Ziegler

Edward H. Ziegler

University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Date Written: November 11, 2008

Abstract

This article provides an analysis of urban planning issues in the United States related to automobile-dependent regional sprawl and discusses the need for a metropolitan sustainable development governing framework for growth management in the twenty-first century. The paper discusses how unsustainable regional sprawl is now legally required throughout most metropolitan areas of the United States as a result of local zoning, growth management, and parking programs. The paper examines the potential benefits of creating a metropolitan governing framework to identify and regulate "growth areas" in a region and how linking these areas to regional transit planning is necessary to achieve the development of higher-density, mixed use, and intensive urban core job/housing areas where people could live, work, shop, and play without the use of the automobile. The paper further discusses some related lessons from Europe and discusses potential legal and political issues and institutional arrangements related to creating this type of regional sustainable development framework for urban planning in the United States.

Suggested Citation

Ziegler, Edward H., The Case for Megapolitan Growth Management in the 21st Century: Regional Urban Planning and Sustainable Development in the United States (November 11, 2008). The Urban Lawyer, Vol. 41, No. 1, 2009, U Denver Legal Studies Research Paper No. 08-24, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1299814

Edward H. Ziegler (Contact Author)

University of Denver Sturm College of Law ( email )

2255 E. Evans Avenue
Denver, CO 80208
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
511
Abstract Views
2,518
Rank
101,230
PlumX Metrics