In this brilliant, gracefully written, and important new book, former Secretary of the Interior and Governor of Arizona Bruce Babbitt brings fresh thought - and fresh air - to questions of how we can build a future we want to live in.We've all experienced America's changing natural landscape as the integrity of our forests, seacoasts, and river valleys succumbs to strip malls, new roads, and subdivisions. Too often, we assume that when land is developed it is forever lost to the natural world--or hope that a patchwork of local conservation strategies can somehow hold up against further large-scale development.In Cities in the Wilderness, Bruce Babbitt makes the case for why we need a national vision of land use. We may have a space program, he points out, but here at home we don't have an open-space policy that can balance the needs for human settlement and community with those for preservation of the natural world upon which life depends. Yet such a balance, the author demonstrates, is as remarkably achievable as it is necessary. This is no call for developing a new federal bureaucracy; Babbitt shows instead how much can be - and has been - done by making thoughtful and beneficial use of laws and institutions already in place.A hallmark of the book is the author's ability to match imaginative vision with practical understanding. As a key architect of many environmental success stories, Babbitt reveals how broad restoration projects have thrived through federal- state partnership and how their principles can be extended to other parts of the country. Read more

KEEP YOUR NOTARY PUBLIC RECORDKEEPING ORGANIZED AND PROFESSIONAL WITH OUR TOP QUALITY PUBLIC OFFICIAL NOTARY JOURNAL LOG BOOKThis Notary Journal is designed to meet record-keeping requirements and ensure compliance with legal standards. It allows you to easily and accurately document your transaction, You can be assured that your important records will be kept safe and secure in one place.THIS BOOK INCLUDES:• Record Number• Signer Full Name/ Address/ Email/ Phone Number/ Signature• Witness Full Name/ Address/ Email/ Phone Number/ Signature• Service Performed• Identification• ID Number/ Issued By/ Date Issued/ Exp. Date• Document Type• Document Date• Date/Time Notarized• Fee Charged• Thumbprint• Comment• Notes PagesNOTARY JOURNAL DETAILS:• 8.5 x 11 Inches• 120 Pages• 230 Records• Printed on both sides of pages• Matte Soft Cover• High-quality white paper Read more

This casebook offers a concise, user-friendly presentation of land use law which incorporates a focus on critical thinking and practice throughout. The casebook devotes an entire chapter to complex and realistic scenarios that provide students an opportunity to bring to bear what they have learned throughout the semester to solve challenging legal and strategic problems. New materials in the third edition ensure that students will become familiar with the latest trends in land use law. Read more

Previously published by the National League of Cities, this book will enable you to put everything related to zoning in context. As stated in the book's Introduction by renown Land Use Attorney Dwight H. Merriam, FAICP, this book is "essential reading for every citizen who is interested in understanding this important aspect of the operation of their local government.... ZONING 101 will turn the novice into an expert, and reinforce an expert's understanding of ... the seven basic elements that form the center of the universe for all zoning ordinances." The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities finds it "written in a concise, easy-to-read style, the primer introduces and explains the basic philosophy, and administration of modern zoning ordinances. The book is designed to be accessible and informative for busy local elected officials, as well be a handy reference tool for staff professionals, especially in smaller communities with limited personnel and resources for planning and zoning. The book features a section on "the seven basic elements of zoning," and a glossary. Other focuses include applications processing, planned unit developments, overlay zones, subdivisions, performance zoning, and enforcement procedures. There also are practical tips on how to tackle difficult zoning situations and ways to involve the public in a positive manner on zoning issues." The author also wrote a guide published by the International City/County Management Association entitled "Establishing Effective Citizens Advisory Committees." Read more

We all have different personalities....Our genetics, our environment, and our experiences help shape us. Some people say we are who we are. The question is: Can we change who we are and what we believe? To a great extent, I think we can. But truly, only if we want to! Join Larry Cohen as he provides his insights and reflections on the topics that matter to all of us. From parenting to optimism to enjoying life, Larry Cohen offers the words of wisdom we've waited a long time to receive. Many chapters are filled with excerpts of the motivational speeches he has delivered to students, teachers, colleagues, and community members and leaders. Now, for the first time, Larry Cohen's words of inspiration have been collected into one volume that will provide guidance and support along your journey. Read more

Most Texas game wardens work alone much of the time in very rural out of the way and unnamed places. It is not uncommon for wardens to find themselves in situations where they are enforcing the law on uncooperative subjects who are armed. They are alone with no other officers in sight for miles. And, at a hidden hunting camp on some secluded ranch at midnight, no one could find them even if backup was available. This is when training, skill, experience, and luck come in. The skills and knowledge they possess, the conditions that they sometimes work under, and the uniqueness of the state they serve makes Texas State Game Wardens an elite group of law enforcement officers. For a quarter century the author was proud to be one of those game wardens. These are his stories. TALES OF A TEXAS GAME WARDEN is an opportunity for a reader to climb aboard and go on patrol with one of Texas' most experienced and well-known game wardens. In the woods and over the water, through daylight and darkness, sometimes deadly serious, sometimes just humorous, this thrilling collection of tales reveals what it is really like to wear the blue badge of a Texas Game Warden. Read more

Historic Preservation Law in a Nutshell provides the leading in-depth summary of historic preservation law within its local, state, tribal, federal, and international contexts. Historic preservation is a burgeoning area of law that includes aspects of property, land use, environmental, constitutional, cultural resources, international, and Native American law. This book covers the primary federal statutes, and many facets of state statutes, dealing with the protection and preservation of historic resources. It also includes key topics like the designation process, federal agency obligations, local regulation, takings and other constitutional concerns, and real estate development issues. Click here to read a book review of the first edition from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Read more

Why are house prices in many advanced economies rising faster than incomes? Why isn't land and location taught or seen as important in modern economics? What is the relationship between the financial system and land?In this accessible but provocative guide to the economics of land and housing, the authors reveal how many of the key challenges facing modern economies - including housing crises, financial instability and growing inequalities - are intimately tied to the land economy. Looking at the ways in which discussions of land have been routinely excluded from both housing policy and economic theory, the authors show that in order to tackle these increasingly pressing issues a major rethink by both politicians and economists is required. Read more

Community resilience requires collaboration across many sectors and professions, and this book’s interdisciplinary authorship reflects that collaboration. Chapters present perspectives on:Recommended approaches and resources;Resilient infrastructure;Avoiding legal challenges to higher standards for development and redevelopment;Organizational resilience and business continuity;Resilient agriculture and environmental considerations;Financial considerations;Measuring and assessing risk;The role of lawyers in promoting resilience;Government leadership in promoting resilience;Collaboration and building a culture of continuity; andInternational standards on resilience. Read more

Keep track of your accounts with our Large Blank Check Register logbook.Included Sections for:.Check Number.Date.Description/Paid To..Tax.Withdrawal and Payment.Check box for reconciliation.Balance.Soft Matte Paper Cover Finish..Perfect large sized 8.5" x 11" paperback, enough space easy to writing and viewing..100 days for check tracker, Calendar 2018 and 2019 with Holidays and 3 blank notes pages for notes important information. Read more

Nearly all large American cities rely on zoning to regulate land use. According to Donald L. Elliott, however, zoning often discourages the very development that bigger cities need and want. In fact, Elliott thinks that zoning has become so complex that it is often dysfunctional and in desperate need of an overhaul. A Better Way to Zone explains precisely what has gone wrong and how it can be fixed.  A Better Way to Zone explores the constitutional and legal framework of zoning, its evolution over the course of the twentieth century, the reasons behind major reform efforts of the past, and the adverse impacts of most current city zoning systems. To unravel what has gone wrong, Elliott identifies several assumptions behind early zoning that no longer hold true, four new land use drivers that have emerged since zoning began, and basic elements of good urban governance that are violated by prevailing forms of zoning. With insight and clarity, Elliott then identifies ten sound principles for change that would avoid these mistakes, produce more livable cities, and make zoning simpler to understand and use. He also proposes five practical steps to get started on the road to zoning reform.   While recent discussion of zoning has focused on how cities should look, A Better Way to Zone does not follow that trend. Although New Urbanist tools, form-based zoning, and the SmartCode are making headlines both within and outside the planning profession, Elliott believes that each has limitations as a general approach to big city zoning. While all three trends include innovations that the profession badly needs, they are sometimes misapplied to situations where they do not work well. In contrast, A Better Way to Zone provides a vision of the future of zoning that is not tied to a particular picture of how cities should look, but is instead based on how cities should operate. Read more

Stay current with the Texas Property Code 2025, your essential reference for Texas property laws. This paperback edition presents the full text of the Texas Property Code, incorporating all legislative updates effective as of 2025. Designed for legal professionals, real estate practitioners, investors, and property owners, this edition provides a clear and organized layout for quick reference.This book includes statutes covering real estate transactions, landlord-tenant relationships, property ownership, homeowners' associations, and more. Whether you're handling contracts, resolving disputes, or studying property law, the Texas Property Code 2025 is an indispensable resource for accessing the most up-to-date legal standards in Texas. Read more

A century of policy mistakes ruined America’s cities and created an unprecedented housing crisis.      For many families, homelessness is no longer someone else’s problem. It is right around the corner, a real threat in their own immediate future. Our housing crisis is the result of a long history of government policies, court cases, and political manipulation. While these disparate causes make up a tangled web, they have one surprising root: the attack on private property rights. For more than a century, government policies and court decisions have attacked, undermined, and eroded private property rights. Whether it be exclusionary zoning, eminent domain abuse, rent control, or excessive environmental regulations, the cumulative impact of these assaults on private property is that it’s become increasingly difficult—or even impossible—to build adequate housing supplies to meet market demands. We are fast approaching a time when millions of typical Americans will, quite literally, have nowhere to live. Nowhere to Live: The Hidden Story of America’s Housing Crisis, takes readers through the history of how we got here. With stories going back to the Civil War, the early twentieth century, and the ill-fated “urban renewal” movement of the 1950s, Nowhere to Live reveals how the government layered mistake upon mistake to create the current crisis. It also provides a way out: not by government fiat, but through the restoration of private property rights.   Read more

Since it was first published in 1991, Guide to California Planning has served as the authoritative textbook on city and county planning practice throughout the state. The first book ever written that covers all aspects of planning in a single state, Guide to California Planning is used as a textbook in virtually every college- and graduate-level planning program in California.In this revised and expanded sixth edition, William Fulton lays out planning laws and processes in detail and describe how planning really works in California—how cities and counties and developers and citizen groups all interact with each other on a daily basis to shape California communities and the California landscape, for better and for worse. Significant new topics addressed in this edition include the state’s increasing focus on housing production and planning for climate adaptation.Easy to read and understand, Guide to California Planning is far more than a textbook. It’s an ideal tool for planning professionals, members of allied professions in the planning and development fields, and citizen activists.Topics include:The history of urban planning and land use regulation in CaliforniaThe structure of planning decision-making and the players at the local, regional, state, and federal levelsThe basic tools, including General Plans, zoning ordinances, development codes, the Subdivision Map Act, and the California Environmental Quality ActAdvance techniques, including exactions, growth management, Specific Plans, and development agreementsImportant urban development topics such as economic development, climate change, sustainability, infill development, and property rightsInfrastructure and infrastructure financeNatural resource protection Read more

This introductory textbook with a global scope aims to train students of geography, sustainability, and urban and environmental studies to re-imagine and transform cities to meet climate, biodiversity, and sustainability challenges. A dedicated team of authors critically examine the relationships between nature and urban areas, sharing an inspiring account of how nature helps us re-think our cities and their futures. Prior to this textbook, literature for courses covering urban nature was written by and for practitioners, whereas this textbook is written by experienced course instructors specifically to be accessible to diverse students. The textbook is illustrated with numerous photos and figures which bring key topics, challenges, and opportunities to life. It contains focus boxes and case studies from every continent, offering students an international scope and multiple entry points into the field. Chapters conclude with thought-provoking follow-up questions and recommended reading. The authors provide an array of supplementary online resources. Read more

The only consumer's guide to making sense of land-use laws and regulationsMany property owners have no idea what their rights are when it comes to altering their properties, or protecting themselves from encroachment by developers and the misguided building and renovation plans of neighbors. Written by a leading national expert on land-use law, The Complete Guide to Zoning tells home owners, developers, and investors nationwide everything you need to know about getting approvals and protecting your property rights.In plain English, Dwight Merriam explains how to:Get fast approvals for building and renovation plans Obtain building permits and variances Fight development projects Use land-use laws to protect and increase property values Identify and work around laws that limit building and renovation plans Deal with environmental-protection laws Read more

When the Cleveland suburb of Euclid first zoned its land in 1922, the Ambler Realty Company was left with a sizable tract it could no longer sell for industrial use-and so the company sued. What emerged was the seminal zoning case in American history, pitting reformers against private property advocates in the Supreme Court and raising the question of whether a municipality could deny property owners the right to use their land however they chose. Reconstructing the case that made zoning a central element in urban planning for cities and towns throughout America, Michael Allan Wolf provides the first book-length study of the Supreme Court's landmark Euclid v. Ambler decision. Wolf describes how the ordinance, and the defense of it, burst onto the national stage and became the focus of litigation before moving all the way to the nation's highest court. He subsequently reveals how and why Justice George Sutherland broke from the Court's conservative bloc to support the urban reform movement eager to protect residential neighborhoods from disturbances created by rapidly expanding commercial, industrial, or multifamily uses of land. Following that decision, America saw the rapid proliferation of zoning ordinances, which greatly increased the power of local government to control and rationalize urban planning. As Wolf attests, many of today's environmental and land use laws might not have been deemed legal had Euclid v. Ambler been decided differently. But he also points out the potential dangers that emerged from the decision, such as its anticompetitive impact on the real estate market, its catalyzing effect on suburban sprawl, and its establishment of a legal basis for excluding minority groups from neighborhoods. Wolf's compelling account makes it clear that Euclid v. Ambler fundamentally altered how we think about the urban landscape, changed the way our cities and suburbs are organized, and left a long shadow over subsequent cases such as the controversial Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. New London (2005). Read more

The 2021 IZC promotes uniformity and consistency in zoning for city planners, code officials and developers. Read more

Buy-Sell Agreements: Valuation Handbook for Attorneys is a one-of-a-kind resource for attorneys representing business owners.Well-prepared buy-sell agreements establish a valuation process to set the price at which a transaction will occur when trigger events happen. Many, if not most, buy-sell agreements in existence today have dated language pertaining to the description of their appraisal processes and the definitions of the price to be set by these processes.The book, penned by an experienced business appraiser and veteran of many buy-sell agreement disputes, scrutinizes common issues in current agreements and suggests improvements.The book also provides seven elements that should be clearly defined in every agreement, including:Standard of value (like fair market value)Level of value (like financial control)Going concern requirement“As-of” dateQualifications of appraisersAppraisal standards to be followedConsideration of life insurance proceedsThe importance of this last element has been heightened by the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Connelly, which affects buy-sell agreements involving life insurance, as discussed in the book’s appendix.Importantly, the book provides example language for consideration by attorneys when drafting buy-sell agreements that contains language important to the valuation process.Attorneys will find that Buy-Sell Agreements: Valuation Handbook for Attorneys will be an invaluable resource for reviewing existing agreements or drafting new ones. Read more

From the bestselling author Simon Winchester, a human history of land around the world: who mapped it, owned it, stole it, cared for it, fought for it and gave it back.In 1889, thousands of hopeful people raced southward from the Kansas state line and westward from the Arkansas boundary to stake claims on the thousands of acres of unclaimed pastures and meadows. Across the twentieth century, water was dammed and drained in Holland so that a new province, Flevoland, rose up, unchartered and requiring new thinking. In 1850, California legislated the theft of land from Native Americans. An apology came in 2019 from the governor, but what of the call for reparations or return? What of government confiscation of land in India, or questions of fairness when it comes to New Zealand’s Maori population and the legacy of settlers?The ownership of land has always been complicated, opaque, and more than a little anarchic when viewed from the outside. In this book, Simon Winchester explores the the stewardship of land, the ways it is delineated and changes hands, the great disputes, and the questions of restoration – particularly in the light of climate change and colonialist reparation.A global study, this is an exquisite exploration of what the ownership of land might really mean – not in dry-as-dust legal terms, but for the people who live on it. Read more