Law

The study of fiscal decentralization has important policy implications for urban growth management, environmental conservation, and property taxation. Fiscal decentralization gives local governments powers to set local taxes and make local expenditures. In many countries local governments also have powers to regulate land uses within the general guidelines set by higher authorities. An understanding of the degree to which local and provincial governments can exercise these powers, make decisions about their revenues and expenditures, and are held accountable for outcomes is crucial for land policy research and education. Three key themes emerged from a Lincoln Institute conference in June 2007: the extent and effectiveness of local service provision under decentralization; the connections between decentralization and local policies; and the effects of intergovernmental transfers on local fiscal behavior.

This book commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Charles Tiebout’s enormously influential article, “A Pure Theory of Local Expenditures,” and honors the contributions of Wallace Oates as expositor and popularizer of the Tiebout model. While Tiebout holds the patent on the hypothesis, Oates brought the product to market. Based on a conference cosponsored by the Lincoln Institute and the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and Social Studies at Dartmouth College in June 2005, this collection of scholarly articles evaluates the Tiebout model’s influence on the disciplines of economics, law, and political science, and assesses future directions for public policy. It addresses such topics as school choice, fiscal federalism, and land use regulation.

In June 2006 the Lincoln Institute held the first in a series of land policy conferences to address international trends and issues. The goals of this conference were to raise awareness of the importance of land policy in shaping international urban development and to explore research topics in urban economics and planning that might have significant policy implications. The chapters are based on the conference proceedings, papers, and commentaries of scholars and practitioners, and are divided into five themes: public actions and property prices; the importance of land value in today’s economy; land and property taxation; urban development and revitalization; and new developments in land and housing markets.

As land use issues become more complex, public officials must work harder to balance the contending forces of environmental protection, economic development, and local autonomy. This guidebook, developed by the Consensus Building Institute, offers step-by-step advice on assisted negotiation based on a study of 100 local land use disputes. It addresses why and how to use assisted negotiation, the risks and preparations involved, and issues in hiring a professional mediator or facilitator.

This book examines the Canadian province of Ontario's 1998 attempt to reform its property tax laws and provides strategies—such as restructuring education finance and introducing a new form of business taxation, at both the provincial and local levels—to help policy makers design a better future.