ABSTRACT
Planners need a good sense of the logic of legal reasoning and methods of legal analysis, and the ways in which lawyers, legal academics, and (especially) judges justify specific legal decisions and broader legal doctrines. Perhaps more importantly, they need enough knowledge of the law to avoid errors in their practice. Drawing from practice in the U.S., this chapter discusses the interactions between law and planning, and how professional planning educators should discuss law with their students. It presents an overview of the core legal and institutional principles, procedures, and related knowledge to be conveyed in courses, to ensure that graduates of planning programs are well prepared to effectively, efficiently, and legally execute their roles and responsibilities as practicing, professional urban planners.
