28 / 216
LAW-2985 Boston: Urban Law and Policy
Prof. John Infranca,
3 credits day; 3 credits evening.
This three-credit course will use Boston as a case study for examining legal, political, social, and
economic issues in modern American cities. The course will consider issues including the
division of powers between the state and the city, local government structure, land use and
housing policy, economic development, municipal finance, sustainability, regionalism,
residential segregation, and education policy. The ambition of the course is both to build a
deeper understanding of unique characteristics of Boston and to glean larger lessons for local
governments in urban areas. In addition to legal materials in these areas, assignments will
include readings from urban planning, history, and policy literature. The course will be useful to
students interested in working in local government, real estate and land use law, and a range of
public policy areas.
The course will be taught using a mixture of lecture, question and answer, and class discussion.
Each student will complete a final paper examining a specific legal or policy issue related to the
course topics. Students will also have a few shorter assignments during the semester. Class
participation will also factor into each student’s grade.
Enrollment is limited: 24
Elective Course
Final Paper Required
<<Course Updated: March 11, 2016>>