Read the full post at the Green Law Blog.
The effects of climate change occur at the local level: storm surges, flooding, wildfires, extreme heat and drought. These all threaten homes, lives and livelihoods, and local governments respond to these threats by adopting policies, plans and regulations to help make safer places for their residents. As described in Choosing to Succeed: Land Use Law & Climate Control, local governments derive their legal authority to control land use from state planning and zoning enabling acts. These laws authorize local regulations that encourage the “most appropriate use of land,” which includes more than just zoning; municipalities also use this authority to adopt floating zones, overlay zoning, special use districts, planned unit developments and a host of other legal tools that help localities shape settlement patterns in a way that most benefits their communities.
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