Urban Law Center Blog

The United States Supreme Court recently granted certiorari in one of the most important cases for local governments, particularly on the West Coast, in recent memory:  Grants Pass v. Johnson .  At issue is whether cities and counties may enforce generally applicable laws regulating camping on public property.  Such laws include “sit-lie” ordinances that prohibit sitting or lying down on sidewalks and other public ways.   Homeless [1] camping in publicly owned property like

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in urban law. City Administration and Urban Governance #administration America’s College Towns are Facing an Economic Reckoning “Communities that rely on student spending and higher education jobs are struggling with fiscal woes and Covid-19 fears as the school year begins,” including “fears of a census undercount” and concerns about the “loss of international students.” At

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in urban law. City Administration and Urban Governance #administration Fordham Professors Look at COVID-19’s Impact on Cities “[M]any questions remain about why cities were hit so hard [by the COVID-19 pandemic] and what this means for their future.” Professor Nestor Davidson observes that public health crises will often raise questions of authority and power in cities: “Ev

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in urban law. City-State Relations and Preemption #preemption The Battle for Local Control is Now a Matter of Life and Death “Across the nation, and in particular the South and the Sun Belt, there have been a string of skirmishes . . . between local and state governments” regarding mask mandates. “Typically, Republican governors have couched their crackdowns on strict city

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in urban law. Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion #equality In Seattle, Protests Over Racial Equity Turn to Land Ownership Activists from the Central District, the “heart of Seattle’s Black community,” are looking to further develop their “ community land trust – a nonprofit entity that collectively owns and holds property for community uses.” “Their campaign, ‘ King County

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in urban law. City Administration and Urban Governance #administration Over 700 Cash-Strapped Cities Halt Plans to Repair Roads, Water Systems or Make Other Key Investments As municipalities slash spending in the face of the pandemic, the National League of Cities (NLC) has released a report stating that “more federal aid is necessary to ensure that local financial woes do

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in urban law. Below is a selection of critical insights into the urban-legal dimensions of the current movement for racial justice. Statement on Cities, Law and Racial Justice For days after the senseless torture and killing of George Floyd, we at the Urban Law Center have found ourselves overwhelmed by this loss, and also so moved by the courageous women and men across the

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in the field of urban law. Below is a selection of critical insights into the urban-legal dimensions of the COVID-19 crisis. We will continue to share similar stories as the situation develops. Public Health #health Judge Issues Order for Los Angeles to Move Homeless Living Near Freeways, Citing Health Concerns On May 15, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter issued a prelimi

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in the field of urban law. Below is a small selection of critical insights into the urban-legal dimensions of the COVID-19 crisis. We will continue to share similar stories as the situation develops. Transportation and Infrastructure #transportation Seattle Will Keep Some Streets Closed Even After Coronavirus “Nearly 20 miles of Seattle, Wash.[sic] streets will permanently

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in the field of urban law. Below is a small selection of critical insights into the urban-legal dimensions of the unfolding COVID-19 crisis. We will continue to share similar stories as the situation develops. Housing and Development #housing How COVID-19 Is Changing Cities’ Approach to Homelessness “The Centers for Disease Control has issued guidance saying that cities sh

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in the field of urban law. Below is a small selection of critical insights into the urban-legal dimensions of the unfolding COVID-19 crisis. We will continue to share similar stories as the situation develops. City Administration and Urban Governance #administration #preemption SC Attorney General: Cities cannot enact their own ‘stay at home’ orders As cities in South Carol

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in the field of urban law. Law and Justice #justice 5Pointz graffiti has now made an indelible mark on the law and art This past month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit “ affirmed a landmark 2018 decision awarding street artists $6.75 million in damages for the willful destruction of 45 works of aerosol art in Long Island City, Queens that were displayed on

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in the field of urban law. Law and Justice #justice Judge Upholds Northam’s Ban on Guns Outside Va. Capitol for Monday’s Rally In January, a Circuit Court judge “upheld Gov. Ralph Northam’s temporary ban on firearms in [Virginia’s] Capitol Square” in anticipation of a gun rights rally to be held later that month. The ban was a response to reports of potential violence” by

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in the field of urban law. Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion #equality The Made-Up Crisis Behind the State Takeover of Houston’s Public School s This January, a Texas court temporarily blocked state takeover of the Houston Independent School District, ordering a trial to decide the issue in June. “Following a 2015 law, HB 1842 , the state of Texas was granted authority to

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in the field of urban law. Housing and Development #housing How Far Can Cities Go to Police the Homeless? Boise Tests the Limit Does enforcement against public camping and sleeping violate the Eighth Amendment’s bar on cruel and unusual punishments? In Boise v. Martin , the Ninth Circuit ruled that it was unconstitutional to criminalize the act of sleeping outdoors when

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in the field of urban law. Transportation and Infrastructure #transportation How St. Louis Took a Proactive Approach to E-Scooter Regulation After St. Louis’ proposed bikeshare program failed to secure grant funding, the city instead created a permitting system for e-scooters to help people travel within the city. Scott Ogilvie, the transportation policy planner in the Pl

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in the field of urban law. Housing and Development #housing Inside a Wealthy Suburban Bid to Oust a Law Firm Fighting Segregation In Westport, CT, Timothy Hollister of Shipman & Goodwin, who represents a developer seeking to build affordable housing near Westport’s train station, stated in an investigatory report that the city’s zoning requirements “prevent development th

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in the field of urban law. This education issue is guest edited by Dr. Steven L. Nelson, Assistant Professor of Education Law and Policy in the Department of Leadership & Policy Studies at the University of Memphis. The articles Dr. Nelson has selected for this issue reflect the broad range of legal and social policy conflicts affecting urban education today. Introduction

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in the field of urban law. Law and Justice #justice Purdue Pharma Tentatively Settles Thousands of Opioid Cases On Sept. 11, 2019, Purdue Pharma agreed to a settlement decision with thousands of municipal governments nationwide. While not all the specifics of the agreement have been released, it in part called for Purdue to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, then establish

The Urban Law Bulletin is a bi-weekly e-newsletter highlighting significant news and legal developments in the field of urban law. Law and Justice #justice Sacramento files unusual suit to ban 7 people from neighborhood On August 9, 2019, the city of Sacramento filed a lawsuit to ban seven people from a local neighborhood, alleging that these individuals have repeatedly caused a public nuisance. In support, Sacramento City Attorney Susana Alcala stated that injunctive relief