Private Property, Public Interest

Justice Talking: "Americans enjoy driving on public roads. Some live in neighborhoods revitalized by publicly supported urban renewal projects while others enjoy parklands and wilderness areas protected by government action. But these public benefits come at a cost and, now, those who have lost land or lost physical or economic use of their land to the Constitution’s “takings” clause are fighting back. In a case that pits powerful private interests against Hawaii, 16 other states, and the nation’s Mayors, the U.S. Supreme Court is being asked to determine the limits of taking property in the public interest."