Class Information
Fall 2026
5335 Land Use - ZALE- 18310
Professor(s):
Kellen Zale (FACULTY)
Credits: 3
Course Areas: Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law
Real Property, Trusts and Estates
Time: 10:30a-12:00p MW Location: 211
Course Outline: This course examines land use law and policy. Land is one of the most fundamental and valuable resources to individuals and communities, and a wide array of public regulation as well as private controls shape the use and development of land. Specific topics that will be covered in the course include planning, zoning, subdivision regulation, aesthetic and historic preservation, regulatory takings, inclusionary housing, environmental review, private covenants, and the role of markets. Throughout our study of these issues, we will consider competing ideas about how, when, and why land use should be regulated and the comparative advantages and disadvantages of various land uses controls. The objectives of this course are to: (1) gain a foundation in the substantive law of land use; (2) apply critical legal thinking to identify and understand controlling legal principles applicable to the subject matter; (3) develop an understanding the ethical and policy issues related to the subject matter; (4) integrate the doctrinal study of the subject matter with the analytical and practical skills necessary to the practice of law; and (5) develop skills in legal analysis, reasoning, problem-solving; and written and oral communication related to land use law.
Course Syllabus: Syllabus
Course Notes: (Face-to-Face) Other editions of this casebook are NOT equivalent substitutes; students must obtain the required edition. The casebook is available for both purchase and rental from the publisher and third parties. The casebook publisher has provided a 15% discount code for books purchased from www.westacademic.com by using the code WAHOUSTON upon checkout (the publisher offers free shipping and immediate access to the eBook to last until your print copy arrives). Students should NOT purchase an e-book only version of the casebook, since e-books are not permitted during the exam, as they are incompatible with the UHLC EBB system
Prerequisites:
First Day Assignments:
Final Exam Schedule:
This course will have:
Exam:
Paper:
Satisfies Senior Upper Level Writing Requirement: No
Experiential Course Type: No
Bar Course: No
DistanceEd ABA: No
Pass-Fail Student Election: Available
Course Materials
Book(s) Required
Course Materials: Sterk et al., LAND USE REGULATION (West, 4th ed. 2025) ISBN: 9798887864204
Note: Other editions of this casebook are NOT equivalent substitutes; students must purchase the required edition.
