Land dedications as local government requirement for open space: Results from US surveys of cities

Abstract

Dedication of land is a regulatory condition that cities can require to approve development projects. Land dedication, though, does not simply regulate development; it allows a city to preserve undeveloped land. City officials increasingly require developers to dedicate land for open space preservation. The present research focuses on land dedication due to its promise in extending human access to open space in developing cities. City officials nonetheless need regulatory capacity to compel developers to set aside lands. This research uses pooled municipal-level data to examine the likelihood of US cities requiring land dedication as a precondition of development approval. Dedication requirements differ considerably across cities. The analysis tests for the impact of income inequality, conservancy interests, the presence of easements, and a city's time from incorporation. Existing literature has yet to substantiate whether these mechanisms specifically affect the feasibility of land dedication. Depending on the model's specification, conservancy interests are partially or not significant. The presence of easements is partially significant on land dedication requirements. Income inequality is statistically significant in most models. A city's time of incorporation is generally significant across the specified models. The research theoretically connects social preferences for land use with organized interests in land conservation.