Land Use Lesson 7 : Solving Land Use Conflicts

1. Vocabulary development.

This lesson requires students to have some understanding of key terms related to democracy and democratic values. Write the word democracy on the board and ask students if they know what it means. [Accept all suggestions at this point.] Write the meaning of the two parts of the word on the chalkboard:

demo = people

cracy = government

Help students understand that democracy means government by the people, either directly or through representatives. For a democracy to work, citizens must be active—voting and letting government officials know how they feel about important issues. Participation is one of the core democratic values. Remind students of what they learned about values in an earlier lesson—values are what people believe to be right, important, or good. Democratic values are what people believe to be right, important, or good in keeping a democracy working well. Lead students in brainstorming core democratic values. (Some examples are equality, justice, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, right to assemble, rule of law, common good, diversity, property, loyalty, and truth.) If you do not think students will be able to brainstorm these values, post a list and assign each value to a pair of students, who will define it and write a sentence explaining why it is important in democracy.

2. Introduce the acronyms LULU and NIMBY.

Post the acronyms LULU and NIMBY on the chalkboard and tell students that many people want LULUs located NIMBY. What does this mean? Allow students to guess and then share the definitions of these two terms:

LULU: Locally undesirable land use.

NIMBY: Not in my back yard.

Make sure students understand the definitions.

3. Identify LULUs.

Have students help generate a list of land uses that might be considered LULUs, for example service station, sewage treatment plant, onion processing plant, airport, noisy factory, highway, or chicken farm. For each, ask students to explain why that land use is important. Then ask them to identify which might be locally undesirable and not wanted in their backyard.

What do you think happens when someone wants to build one of these LULUs in a location? [There is often conflict about that change in land use.] Tell students they will learn about how these conflicts are solved in a democracy in this lesson.

4. Discuss land use change in your community.

Tell students to imagine that they are researchers studying land use change in your community.

How can we learn about land use changes in the community? [Interview people, read the newspaper, watch local television news programs, and visit governmental offices to read notices and records.]

Why is land use an important issue in our community? [The economy is often based on how we use the land; land uses may affect how pleasant it is to live in our homes. Land uses may affect whether the land is being polluted, such as by use of too many herbicides and pesticides on suburban lawns. Open space may disappear so that people have few places to walk, jog, or play sports except along streets and roadways. Land use is important to the tax base of a community and influences the number and quality of services provided.]

Explain that when people disagree about land uses, officials elected or appointed to represent the people must make decisions. The citizens can and should make their views on these conflicts known. One way they can do that is through a public hearing at which officials listen to the views of citizens and experts. Students are going to take part in a play about a publichearing before the Zoning Board of Appeals in Big Rapids, Michigan. Explain that a Zoning Board of Appeals hears requests (appeals) from citizens who want to change the way a piece of land can be used (how it is zoned).

5. Conduct the play, The Case of the Parking Spaces.

The script for the role-playing that is part of this lesson is based upon an authentic Zoning Board of Appeals case from Big Rapids, Michigan. The text of the original case study is included for verification, if necessary. Distribute the script and, if you have not already done so, assign parts. You may need to allow some time for preparation. Not all students will have speaking parts, so you may want to assign a partner to each student with a speaking role to help him/her prepare. Students with non-speaking roles could also set up the classroom to resemble a meeting room, with the members of the Zoning Board of Appeals sitting across the front, facing the classroom. Students could make a nameplate for each member of the board. A table or prop microphone should be set up facing the Board, for people who are speaking to the Board.

Conduct the play. Stop the play after Mary Jane Cook seconds the motion. The second part of the play is on the final page of the script. Follow the instructions for voting on the issue by secret ballot. Collect the ballots and compare the class vote to the vote by the Zoning Board of Appeals at the completion of the play. Use the opportunity to discuss that the votes may turn out differently when different groups vote.

Also, the Zoning Board of Appeals is compelled to consider the law and the common good in making their decision.

Next, conduct a debriefing discussion using the following questions displayed on an overhead, Questions from the Play:

Why was the issue brought to the community board? [To request a variance.]

What were the positive and negative aspects of the proposed change? [Increased traffic and economic benefits versus a quiet neighborhood.]

What evidence did each person submit? [Largely their own experiences.] 

Was everyone in agreement about the proposed land use change? [No.]

What was the final decision made by the community board?[To deny the variance.] 

What core democratic values were used in making the land use decision? [Rule of law, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and common good.]

What might the landowner do now? [Decide not to build, try to purchase additional land, or build a smaller complex that could meet the parking requirements.]

6. Review.

Discuss the following questions:

How are land use conflicts solved in a democratic society? [In a democracy the people involved in a land use decision usually identify and discuss the options or alternatives. They may try to reach a consensus or have a preponderance of the people involved with the decision take a specific side. People may also vote yes or no on the issue.]

What role do citizen boards have in solving conflicts? [Citizen boards usually try to resolve differences between groups or individuals. If differences cannot be resolved, then the boards have the right to legally impose a decision, or to ask the court to make the decision.]

Why are core democratic values important in solving conflicts? [Core democratic values are principles that guide individual and group behavior. Justice, rule of law, and equality are important concepts that help resolve conflicts by guiding decisions. When a decision is made, a basic question is: Was the decision just and fair? Did the decision follow the rule of law? These are important questions because they form the basis for a democracy.]