LAW-2985 Boston: Urban Law and Policy
This three-credit course will use Boston as a case study for examining legal, political, social, and economic issues in modern American cities. The course will consider issues including the division of powers between the state and the city, local government structure, land use and housing policy, economic development, municipal finance, sustainability, regionalism, residential segregation, and education policy. The ambition of the course is both to build a deeper understanding of unique characteristics of Boston and to glean larger lessons for local governments in urban areas. In addition to legal materials in these areas, assignments will include readings from urban planning, history, and policy literature. The course will be useful to students interested in working in local government, real estate and land use law, and a range of public policy areas. The course will be taught using a mixture of lecture, question and answer, and class discussion. Each student will complete a final paper examining a specific legal or policy issue related to the course topics. Students will also have a few shorter assignments during the semester. Class participation will also factor into each students grade. Not offered 2018-2019 [647] Course updated: March 11, 2016