Land Lines January 2010
Land Policy Issues in China
Despite its noteworthy accomplishments, China is facing critical land policy issues that will determine the direction of its future: property rights; property tax implementation; farmland preservation; urban planning and development; and environmental sustainability.
Housing, Land, and the Economic Crisis
At the end of 2009, the United States faced an economic disaster of major proportions. If the jobs picture does not brighten, and the market does not speed up the process of resolving foreclosures, the housing market could face a long period of stagnation and even a return to falling prices.
Integrating Mediation in Land Use Decision Making
Although mediation has successfully resolved many land use disputes, its use is often ad hoc as inclination and resources determine. An 18-month screening and evaluation study in Vermont seeks to better understand mediation across a statewide land use decision-making system.
This issue highlights the expansion of the Lincoln Institute’s China Program to address land policy and urban development matters; the effect of the mid-2000s economic crisis on housing and land values; and the results of a year-and-a-half-long study to better understand land use mediation strategies across Vermont.