"It's my land, I can do whatever I want with it." "This is our neighborhood (or city, or park), and we should be the ones deciding how it's used." These are two strongly held—and diametrically opposed—views of appropriate land use. As John G. and Leslie Pickering Francis demonstrate, the debate about what to do with land is messy, complex, and often based on dangerously misguided principles.
Raising the question of what rights "owners"—community, as well as individual—in fact "have," the Francises argue that land stewardship transcends narrow spatial definitions. Their analysis of the discourse about property ownership offers a sophisticated, much-needed approach to land-use policy.
"Examining who should enjoy the privilege of decisionmaking, this excellent book will cause readers to reassess their views of land-use policies and property rights."—Laurel Phoenix, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay