Guides: Land Use Law Research Guide: Secondary Sources

Key to Icons

Georgetown only
On Westlaw
On Lexis
On Bloomberg
PDF
More Info (hover)
Preeminent Treatise
Study Aid

Treatises

American Land Planning Law
Also available in print, but no longer updated (KF5698 .W54)
This multi-volume treatise covers public regulation of land use. The most recent edition covers the increasing importance of the federal government, particularly the federal judiciary, in the field.
American Law of Zoning
Also available in print, but no longer updated (KF5698 .A76 2008)
This multi-volume treatise provides a good introduction to legal authority for land use regulation and entities involved in zoning and planning as well as a history zoning law. Discusses planning, zoning, and subdivision control.
Discretionary Land Use Controls: Avoiding Invitations to Abuse of Discretion
Discusses the situations in which a abuse of discretion is more likely to occur and how to avoid it. There are chapters on, for example variances, special use permits, and site plan review, and each ends with useful "practice tips."
Environmental Regulation of Land Use
Also available in print, but no longer updated (KF5698 .M264 1990)
Discusses the major environmental laws that impact land use and planning decisions.
Federal Land Use Law and Litigation
Reviews the "federal, constitutional, and statutory limitations on local land use controls" and includes chapters on due process and equal protection, takings, freedom of expression, religious uses, and more.
Handling the Land Use Case, Land Use Law Practice & Forms
Summarizes the substantive land use law as well as the practical matters of handling a land use case. The appendices include sample documents for all stages of litigation and appeals and sample agreements.
Land Use Law
Also available in print, but no longer updated (KF5698 .M29 2003)
This selective treatise is designed to review case law, statutes, and planning practice in land use.
A Practical Guide To Winning Land Use Approvals and Permits
Provides practical guidance on obtaining and opposing approvals and permits and covers zoning requirements, environmental requirements, variances, special use permits, and judicial review. This guide also includes step-by-step case studies and forms such as sample ordinances and permit applications.
Rathkopf's The Law of Zoning & Planning
This five volume treatise extensively covers zoning law.
State & Local Government Land Use Liability
Discusses the legal issues states and municipalities face when regulating land use. Includes useful information on issues to consider when drafting, adopting and amending, administering, and enforcing land use regulations.
Subdivision Law & Growth Management
This two-volume treatise provides a good introduction to the law and issues surrounding subdivisions and growth management and includes information on various growth management techniques, financing, and evaluation.
Zoning and Land Use Controls
Covers modern land use law trends such as sign regulation and adult-use businesses. It focuses on local controls of land, but also discusses state and federal controls. It also incorporates primary materials and practical issues and includes a full set of the Model Planning Statutes. Also includes sample documents and forms.
Zoning and Planning Deskbook
Two-volume treatise providing a basic, practical introduction to land use and planning law issues.
Zoning Law and Practice
An eight-volume practice-oriented treatise covering a range of zoning issues from variances to parking to signage and includes a number of forms.

Many municipal law, real estate and property law, and environmental law treatises are also likely to contain relevant information on land use and zoning law and related issues. Find a list of useful municipal law, real estate and property law, and environmental law treatises in our Treatise Finder.

Study Guides

Climate Change and Sustainable Development in a Nutshell
Provides a good introduction to the legal framework and has chapters on federal, state, and local law and policies; energy efficient buildings; green buildings; green neighborhoods and transit-oriented development; renewable energy; sequestration; and sea level rise.
Historic Preservation Law in a Nutshell
This study aid covers international, federal, state, and local aspects of historic preservation law.
Land Use Law in a Nutshell
In print and online - This study aid outlines major topics in the study of land use and planning. It offers explanations on the historical development of land use law and also devotes a chapter to discussing critical contemporary land use issues. Chapters also include discussions of zoning, Fifth Amendment limits on land use regulations, housing and urban redevelopment, local environmental law as a land use issue, and historical and cultural interest protection.
Land Use Planning & Development Regulation Law
A hornbook that provides an introduction to "the fundamentals of land use planning and control law." The "practitioner" version of this book is available on Westlaw.
Understanding the Law of Zoning and Land Use Controls
This study aid covers zoning, land use, and environmental regulation with sections on authority for zoning and land use regulation, zoning forms of action, economic discrimination and zoning, wetlands and beaches, and more.

Other Secondary Sources

ALI-CLE - Land Use Institute Courses
American Law Institute-American Bar Association Committee on Continuing Professional Education for the Land Use Institute
Environment and Energy Publishing
Environment and Energy Publishing produces a number of daily newsletters and reports, including ClimateWire, Greenwire, and E&E Daily.
Land Lines
A quarterly magazine published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Articles are also available on the Institute's website as early as January 1994.
McQuillin Municipal Law Report
A monthly newsletter reporting on state and federal court decisions dealing with municipal law, including land use, zoning, and planning.
Planning and Environmental Law
Published monthly by the American Planning Association and includes summaries of cases and legislation and commentary.
A Practical Guide To Winning Land Use Approvals and Permits
Coverage includes: * Zoning requirements and restrictions * Governmental approvals of residential subdivisions and much more.
Zoning and Planning Law Report
A monthly newsletter that "provides a succinct, practical treatment of important developments in zoning and planning law, through timely articles, decisions, and reviews of recent cases."
Zoning Law Bulletin
Biweekly newsletter covering recent court cases and developments related to zoning ordinances and regulations.

Blogs

Greater Greater Washington
Reports on issues related to development, transportation, and other planning issues in the Washington, D.C. area.
Land Use Prof Blog
Regularly updated and edited by law professors who specialize in land use law.
Law of the Land
A blog by Professor Patricia E. Salkin, a law professor at Albany law School and expert on land use law and zoning.
Planetizen
Posts news of interest to the urban planning and development community.
Land Use Law
This site links to articles, cases, statutes and ordinances, and other relevant information on land use law. Also has updates to the casebook Planning and Control of Land Development.

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of American Urban History
Offers both a summary and an interpretation of the study of American cities, covering topics from economics, geography, anthropology, politics, and sociology.
A Glossary of Zoning, Development, and Planning Terms

Specialized Land Use Journals

Law Journal Databases

Search these databases for law reviews and legal newsletters.

HeinOnline: Law Journal Library HeinOnline content is image-based in PDF format and fully searchable. My Hein allows users to save search queries and bookmark their search results after creating a user account.

LegalTrac This link opens in a new window Index of approximately 1,300 journals; coverage begins in 1980
Legal Periodicals and Books This link opens in a new window Index of approximately 1,000 journals (with some full text); coverage begins in August 1981.
Index to Foreign Periodicals This link opens in a new window Index of approximately 470 legal journals published throughout the world. This database covers 1985 to present. To find older articles, use the Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals in print (KF8 .I35).

Frequently Used Databases

For a searchable list of GULL databases, refer to our Databases page.

Academic Search Premier (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window Academic Search Premier provides full-text publications from all academic areas of study, including the sciences, social sciences, humanities, education, computer science, engineering, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies.

Bloomberg Law

Cambridge Journals This link opens in a new window Cambridge Journals Online is the web site for Cambridge U. Press journals, all of which the Georgetown University community can access.
CCH IntelliConnect This link opens in a new window

Journal Finder This eJournal Finder provides access to electronic versions of journals, magazines, newspapers, and BNA publications. Search for the title of a publication or periodical to learn which databases subscribed to by the library include that title, and for what years.

Google Scholar This link opens in a new window Google Scholar retrieves links to papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations. Google Scholar is different from Google because it searches only databases that have scholarly content. WHEN YOU ARE OFF-CAMPUS AND YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE FULL TEXT OF ARTICLES, YOU MUST START FROM A LINK FORMULATED LIKE THE ONE IN THIS RECORD IN ORDER TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A MEMBER OF THE GULC COMMUNITY. Google Scholar also includes patents and patents applications from the USPTO as well as the full text of legal opinions issued by state and federal courts.
HeinOnline This link opens in a new window HeinOnline content is image-based in PDF format and fully searchable. My Hein allows users to save search queries and bookmark their search results after creating a user account. Primary material available are law journals, US Code, CFR, Federal Register, U.S. Statutes at Large, international treaties, session laws, and tax material.
Index to Foreign Periodicals This link opens in a new window Index of approximately 470 legal journals published throughout the world. This database covers 1985 to present. To find older articles, use the Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals in print (KF8 .I35).
JSTOR This link opens in a new window JSTOR is a digital archive of core journals in various fields. It contains the entire runs of these journals, from the first volume up to the volumes published a few years ago. Each journal has a "moving wall" of 3-5 years after which the current issues are added to JSTOR. Georgetown has access to all journals in these collections: Arts & Sciences I-VI, Health & General Sciences, and Ecology & Botany.
Legal Periodicals and Books This link opens in a new window Index of approximately 1,000 journals (with some full text); coverage begins in August 1981.
LegalTrac This link opens in a new window Index of approximately 1,300 journals; coverage begins in 1980

Lexis

Oxford Journals This link opens in a new window Oxford Journals Online is the web site for the Oxford U. Press journals, most of which the Georgetown University community can access. Georgetown subscribes to the backfiles as well as the more recent years of the journals.
ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new window Hearings 1824-present; Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports 1916-present; House & Senate Documents and Reports 1789-present; Legislative Histories 1969-present; Bills & Laws 1789-present; Miscellaneous Publications 1789-present; Serial Set Maps 1789-2007; Congressional Record 1789-present; Executive Branch Materials 1789-1948; Executive Orders & Presidential Materials 1789-present.
ProQuest Research Library This link opens in a new window ProQuest Research Library includes more than 3,700 titles -- over 2,500 in full text. It features a diversified mix of scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, and newspapers. This database contains the text of some articles plus FULL TEXT AT GU LAW links out to the articles in other databases.
Checkpoint This link opens in a new window Provides comprehensive and full-text coverage of federal, state, and some international tax materials, including RIA and WG&L tax products.
You may create a user ID for customized features like alerts, folders, and saving documents or searches. Register at the Checkpoint registration page using your Georgetown Law email. IDs expire on July 31 and December 31 each year. Re-registration is required.

Westlaw Next / TWEN

WorldCat/FirstSearch This link opens in a new window FirstSearch provides access to numerous databases including WorldCat. WorldCat also contains bibliographic records from the catalogs of most of the large libraries in the U.S. plus some foreign countries. You can email WorldCat records to yourself or export them for use with bibliographic software later. When you see a list of WorldCat results, you will notice that each one says, "See more details for locating this item." Click this link and you will be able to get to a list of libraries that own the item. You can click on "Click here to request via ILL" to request that the item be obtained for you through the Law Library's interlibrary loan processes, using ILLiad software.

Land Use Law Research Guide

Contents