The Evolving Role of Federal and State Planning Legislation in Local Plan Making: Lessons Learned and Prescription for Action

This paper takes a historical perspective in the narration of state land use legislation and the role of the federal government in championing these regulations. Four phases are identified and the key legislative reforms in each phase are discussed. The author argues that to effectively address the current land use problems the federal government needs to take a leading role in studying the land use issues to identify problems that are common to the states and to provide direction in how to address them.