"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Policy
Citizen Advisory Committees
11/21/24
“How can governments work with committees of residents?”
Governments may want to work with their residents on hot-button topics. One way to accomplish this is to form a Citizen Advisory Committee to take in recommendations from community members and local experts on key issues.
Activist Mediation
11/20/24
“How can mediators address a power imbalance between parties?”
Most mediation training strives for mediators to be “neutral” between parties. This neutrality can exacerbate any power differentials between two sides since there’s already not a level playing field. Professionals can use Activist Mediation techniques that strive to correct the power imbalance. This creates a non-neutral setting, which may be necessary to arrive at a more equitable outcome.
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.
