Report aims to reduce land-use disputes
Land-use disputes often disrupt and delay development plans and draw local governments into lawsuits. To help local leaders minimize land-use disputes, the Public Policy Research Institute at the University of Montana and the Cambridge, Mass.-based Consensus Building Institute have published a new report, “Responding to Streams of Land Use Disputes: A Systems Approach.” The authors examine how communities are integrating collaborative methods into land-use planning and present a framework to guide and evaluate the design of such programs. Key elements of 27 state and local programs are summarized, and a set of 10 “best practices” for designing and implementing land-use dispute resolution programs are included. Download the free 58-page document at www.cbuilding.org.