Eminent Domain

Richmond, California is prepared to become the first city in the U.S. to use eminent domain, a power traditionally utilized to force owners to vacate their land in the name of the public good, for the purposes of stopping foreclosures.

July 30, 2013 - The New York Times

A controversial Virginia ballot measure to limit eminent domain use has gone without much notice. Michael Rodriguez, a local transportation planner, argues against this measure.

November 5, 2012 - Greater Greater Washington

No one should be surprised that at Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards site, nothing is, or ever will be, as promised, writes columnist Roberta Brades Gratz.

October 6, 2012 - The Citistates Group

Some cities are fighting back against the mortgage crisis, using eminent domain to seize and write down troubled mortgages, keeping homeowners in their homes and keeping local economies afloat, writes Peter S. Goodman.

October 2, 2012 - Huffington Post

Amanda Erickson explains how communities could wield the power of eminent domain to rescue residents with "underwater" mortgages, by condemning homes and allowing owners to refinance their mortgages and pay a new, lower rate.

August 14, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Although the Obama administration is still weighing whether to give the Keystone XL pipeline the necessary approvals to begin construction, the courts are already deciding that eminent domain can be used to secure access to private land.

July 30, 2012 - The Washington Post

One family in Taipei has rallied support for "victims of urban renewal" after the city demolished their home to make way for high-rise apartments, Loa Lok-Sin reports.

June 12, 2012 - Taipei Times

TransCanada is trying to use eminent domain to obtain easements from unwilling landowners for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

October 19, 2011 - The New York Times

'Urban renewal' got a bad name for overusing eminent domain and ignoring the will of the people. Officials in Erie, on the other hand, see "a powerful economic development tool."

October 11, 2011 - The Daily Camera

Phil Taylor of the New York Times writes about an ensuing battle between a Montana wind power transmission project, backed by eminent domain rights, and Montana landowners, fighting for cultural conservation of their land.

September 15, 2011 - The New York Times

The eminent domain case of Kelo vs. New London is seeing new relevance in cities across the country, as empty malls are being classified by locals as blight.

August 18, 2010 - Retail Traffic

In Westminster, Colorado, the city's economic development department is attempting to have the Westminster Mall blighted and thus up for seizing through eminent domain.

August 12, 2010 - Retail Traffic Magazine

New York's Court of Appeals overturned an earlier decision that prevented Columbia University from using eminent domain to build an extension of their campus.

June 28, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

The Supreme Court ruled for state power and against landowners in a landmark decision that will allow a beach-widening project to go forward without compensation.

June 18, 2010 - The Washington Post

The city of Dublin, Ohio, is trying to un-eminent domain some land it acquired from a local landowner. The project it had seized the land for has since fallen apart, and the city now wants its $5 million payoff back.

May 5, 2010 - The Columbus Dispatch

Boston uses the threat of eminent domain to force a developer to build on a site that's become an eyesore.

April 14, 2010 - Wall Street Journal

Utah Governor Gary Herbert has approved two eminent domain bills that seek to give the state rights to seize property now owned by the federal government. Officials concede the fight will be hard to win.

March 30, 2010 - The Salt Lake Tribune

The Kelo decision of 2005 caused states across the US to think twice before using eminent domain. But not in New York, where the controversial strategy seems to be experiencing a renaissance.

January 25, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

New London, Connecticut was dealt a major blow when pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced plans to pack up and leave the heavily city-subsidized building New London had lured the company with. Bill Fulton looks at the impact of the move.

January 4, 2010 - Governing

Columbia's plans to use eminent domain to expand its campus may have to wait. On Thursday, an appellate court reversed a previous decision to take property on behalf of the school.

December 5, 2009 - The New York Times