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Abstract: To effectively address the negative impacts of climate change in the United States, Americans will have to change their way of living. Specifically, Americans must begin driving less to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere from automobiles. The only way for Americans to drive less is for state and local governments to change their patterns of land de... read morevelopment and create more pedestrian-friendly communities. These types of communities will become most achievable when state and local governments make a habit of engaging in planning, coordination, and consistency in land use development. Because state and local governments have not taken these steps on their own, the federal government must compel state and local governments to take necessary action. The Clean Air Act provides an ideal framework for the federal government to require state and local governments to engage in land use planning, coordination, and consistency. Unfortunately, many people believe that Section 131 of the Clean Air Act, entitled Land Use Authority, prohibits the federal government from getting involved in local land use regulation. This thesis demonstrates, however, that Section 131 only prohibits the federal government from interfering with local land use siting and zoning decisions. Thus, the federal government can, and should, exercise authority to compel state and local governments to engage in planning, coordination, and consistency in land use regulation
Thesis (M.A.)--Tufts University, 2012.
Submitted to the Dept. of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning.
Advisor: Jonathan Witten.
Committee: Zygmunt Plater.
Keywords: Law, Climate change, and Environmental law.read less
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