"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Policy
Environmental Impact Assessments
11/04/24
“How can we evaluate the environmental impacts of projects?”
Governments and institutions carry out construction projects. These are bound to have environmental impacts. The scale of these impacts can be measured through Environmental Impact Assessments, where professionals review the impacts of all possible projects compared to doing nothing at all.
How to Daylight a Stream
10/28/24
“How do we restore a buried stream?”
People bury streams for a variety of reasons. This can cause flooding issues and habitat destruction. Later, people may want to restore the stream. Restoring, or daylighting a stream can be accomplished by removing artificial impediments like pavements and culverts, recreating the former ecosystem, and applying maintenance techniques. This is How to Daylight a Stream.
Ecosystem Improvement Compensation
10/27/24
“How can we compensate people for improving ecosystems?”
Ecosystem services monetarily quantify the value an ecosystem provides. If someone improves an ecosystem, then under this framework they theoretically raise the ecosystem value. Some governments may want to implement Ecosystem Improvement Compensation by paying people who make ecosystems better.
Ecosystem Services
10/26/24
“How can we categorize the benefits that ecosystems have to humans?”
Ecosystems provide a wide range of benefits to people. It ranges from trees providing oxygen to beaches providing enjoyment. These supports can be categorized as Ecosystem Services. Thinking about ecosystems as providing services can elucidate how people need them for their lives.
Utility Easements
09/24/24
“Why do no utilities need easements?”
Utilities provide critical services to residents, whether it be water for your shower or electricity for your devices. These utilities will break down from time to time and need repairs. Property owners will have to provide Utility Easements so repairs can be made by the utility owners. These are usually determined in easement agreements that outline which specific areas utilities are eligible to work on.
Air Rights
09/23/24
“How does the law define who owns the air above buildings?”
Buildings may protrude outwards. However, this might interfere with the space above other buildings, limiting the potential for the latter’s development. Whoever has the right to develop is governed by Air Rights. A building’s air right is defaulted to whoever owns a building is geometrically defined as the space completely vertical of the building. In the US this is typically 150 meters above the tallest building in urban/suburban areas and 110 meters for a rural areas.
Easements
09/22/24
“When may someone be entitled to use another person’s property?”
People may have to have access to someone else’s property from time to time. This could range from utilities needing to use a backyard to repair property to access for a landlocked neighbor. These rights are called Easements and are an important part of land-use law.
Eminent Domain for Airspace
09/21/24
“How is eminent domain applied to airspace?”
Eminent domain is typically used to acquire land rights for public use. However, if it wants to use air-based applications (such as airports) it will also need to acquire airspace. Eminent Domain for Airspace entails the government paying just compensation for the airspace.
Regulatory Takings
09/20/24
“How can the government restrict a property owner’s use of their own land until it’s practically a taking?”
Governments can introduce regulations to control how people use their land. Sometimes so many regulations are introduced that it practically qualifies as government seizure. In the US, these are known as Regulatory Takings. Regulatory takings in the US are entitled to just compensation and are usually determined by a three-part test.
An example of a government taking would be government agencies forcing a private canal owner to conform to their expectations.
Isaac's Science Blog 