Bernard H. Siegan, RIP

Jesse Walker | March 31, 2006

To me, the legal scholar Bernard Siegan's greatest claim to fame was writing Land Use Without Zoning, a classic study of Houston's zoning-free approach to land use planning. But he did a lot more than that, playing a pioneering role in rehabilitating the view that the Constitution should protect economic liberties. He died this week at age 81. Rest in peace.

Comments

MP|3.31.06 @ 10:48AM|#

Is that book worth reading?

|3.31.06 @ 10:50AM|#

Yes MP, everything the guy wrote was worth reading. So, the rule of threes hits again; Weinburger, Knopfzinger, and Siegan. Three key Reaganites in the span of a week. Siegan was one of the first legal scholars to seriously question commerce clause jurisprudence and openly advocate going back to the Lockner standard.

|3.31.06 @ 11:12AM|#

And speculative development in the Houston area was infamously behind the real estate crash of '87.

Great theory...

JMJ

MP|3.31.06 @ 12:04PM|#

JMJ,

The risk of real estate speculation means we should have goverment regulation that is best implemented via zoning laws?

Now there's an interesting chain of logic...

|3.31.06 @ 12:20PM|#

Actually, zoning takes all such criteria into consideration. Zoning, planning, whatever - you can't just have people developing willy nilly.

JMJ

|3.31.06 @ 12:27PM|#

"you can't just have people developing willy nilly"

You never could develop willy nilly in Houston. A lot of development restrictions were part of the deeds. It is a different type of zoning in Houston, it's not completely controlled from city hall like most other cities.

Mike Laursen|3.31.06 @ 1:57PM|#

JMJ, the first chapter of Land Use Without Zoning is about all the things that the typical zoning board hearing process does and doesn't take into consideration. It's worth reading.

|3.31.06 @ 10:30PM|#

And speculative development in the Houston area was infamously behind the real estate crash of '87

Horror of horrors! Overpriced property becomes affordable for the poor and landless.

Typical pro-rich-landowner "liberal": "Oh, but I care about the poor!" Fuck you, you fucking liar.