Land Use Law in Planning

The environment in which land use is regulated is changing, and thus the skills that planning graduates need are likely to be changing as well. In this article, the authors present the results of a survey of 386 local planning agencies regarding the knowledge and skills pertaining to land use law they expect in entry-level land use planners. The authors also report on a parallel survey of 27 planning educators who teach land use law regarding the knowledge and skills their students possess as they enter the job market. The authors conclude that planning educators generally are providing the essential knowledge and skills relevant to land use planning and law that agencies desire. Also, the authors have found that the expectations of planning agencies often vary substantially by region of the United States, size of community, and the local rate of population growth.