Category: Land Use Policies

On Nantucket, a Legal Maneuver to Protect Historic Homes From Gutting

A steady erosion of history has been underway on the island for years, with ultrawealthy newcomers remaking the interiors of antique structures.
The Farmers Had What the Billionaires Wanted

In Solano County, Calif., a who’s who of tech money is trying to build a city from the ground up. But some of the locals whose families have been there for generations don’t want to sell the land.
China’s Property Crisis Blew Up Investments That Couldn’t Lose

Citic said its new fund was as safe as they come because it would invest in real estate. Then the developer defaulted and the projects stalled.
Blue Carbon Is One of Many Companies Inking Carbon Market Deals

An Emirati company wants to broker a nascent market in which nations trade emission reductions even before regulations are agreed upon.
Yellowstone Border Purchase Stops Gold Mine From Infringing on Bear Habitat

A conservation group acquired more than 1,500 acres just north of Yellowstone National Park to stop a gold mine that they say would have upset the habitat of bears and other wildlife.
Energy Firms, Green Groups and Others Reach Deal on Solar Farms

The agreement could help speed up the development of large solar projects that are often bogged down by fights over land use and environmental concerns.
Belgian Preserve Melds Farming and Conservation, and Fights Extreme Weather

Can Europe fight the effects of extreme weather while producing enough affordable food? A model combining conservation with agriculture may offer a solution.
How the Dream of Building a California City From Scratch Got Started

A former Goldman Sachs trader moved to the Bay Area to make it in tech. He ended up buying rural land with money from some of Silicon Valley’s wealthiest people.
A California Land Mystery Is Solved. Now the Political Fight Begins.

Tech industry investors spent roughly $900 million buying land to build a dream city in a rural part of the Bay Area. It could be years, though, before they can do anything with it.
A D.C. Suburb Finds a Creative Answer to America’s Housing Shortage

Montgomery County, Md., like many places, has an affordable housing crisis. So it started acting like a benevolent real estate investor.
Could U.S. Toughness on Chinese Business Have Unintended Consequences?

Businesses fear that efforts to look tough on Beijing, which have the potential to be more expansive than moves by the federal government, could have unintended consequences.
Can Affluence and Affordable Housing Coexist in Colorado’s Rockies?

The outdoorsy lifestyle of Colorado mountain towns has become a magnet for the new remote-worker class, upending life for those already rooted there.