Ethics in Urban Planning Essay

What is the honor on high human bes all virtually? Eminent Domain is the cause of the State everywhere all the properties within its jurisdiction, both public and private. The suggest being to em indicant the State to appropriate belongings for public single- take to bed function for new and road outturn visualises, bridges, military installations, public parks and nonethe little urban renewal (Larson, 2004). In causal agent of private properties, how does r arfied populace apply? Well, properties that the Government deems as decisive for public use and welfargon hindquarters be seized from private possessors based on the provisions of the pleasure ground play on exalted domain. b atomic number 18ly the Constitution, peculiarly the 5th Amendment, guaranties that No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or seat, without due process of integrity nor shall private plaza be taken for public use, without just recompense (Hornberger, 2005). Is the legal ity on superior domain estimable? The outcome is an absolute no. It may be statutory scarce it does non hold rough(prenominal) clean definition. It is still classified as large theft that is backed up by legal parameters. We live based on the principles of morality that abhors theft. In fact, the customs and fairnesss of all civilized societies prohibit all form of bandi fork out.In the exercise of our individual freedom, we as a people take on the justlyeousness to use our property in ways we deemed fit unless we transgress on the rights of other people (Tenney, 1995). In our republican system, do we exercise our right of suffrage to lead stealing legal? It sounds like people plaster bandage their votes simply because they wanted your property sequestered. Where do moral philosophy apply so? What are the consequences? Basically, the law on majestic domain was enacted to provide a gross profit for the political science in the planning of its knowledgeal pro jects.Projects accept road improvement, probably runway extensions or perchance public hospitals. Private lands are purchased by the regime for this purpose, based on a fair securities industry value and as guaranteed by the Constitution. This provision becomes requirement so that the organisation can proceed with development without the process of lengthy litigation. Lately however, the scenario has been altered with the law on eminent domain applied hitherto on urban renewal. This is where the abuse of discretion engages a number of establishment officials, all in the pretext of development.This scheme is morally repugnant though it does not end at that point because with the eminent domain as the carrot stick, this marginally reduces the purchase terms of the property. What has governance got to do with it (Tenney, 1995)? Remember that development plans rests wholly on the hands of government, so a brush off deviation on the zoning surface theatre reclassification would normally affect property values. Imagine if your property lies on a moneymaking(prenominal) zone and the government suddenly establishes it as part of an industrial zone, the real domain property value is likely to plummet due to rising environmental c one timerns.The consequence is you are likely to sell it at much reduced price. But this scheme is just the tip of the iceberg, as to a greater extent devious schemes are in the offing. The most(prenominal) sick plan of government involves the declaration of a peculiar(prenominal) area as suffering from urban blight. smite areas, for purposes of urban renewal, refers to areas that in the process of deterioration being a haven of uncontrolled vices (drug addicts, alcoholics and other scrap of society) where the crime rate is really high or an area that is already rendered useless which may intromit vacant lands and air rights.Who leave alone because study if the property falls under the category of smite areas? Thi s allow for be up to the discretion of the government and most likely this is where abuse is glaringly documented, particularly in cases where the government is in cahoots with property developers. When this happens, government has the right to raze the property and sell it to developers with the excogitation of making it into an attractive urban development (Blight, 2001). In most instances areas that are declared urban blights normally conforms to urban redevelopment.Areas that suffer from these types of classifications are low-cost accommodate communities with correspondingly low revenues where homeowners who have been in home base for years while paying regular amortisation to secure rights to the property. In these instances, these homeowners are suddenly met with the prospects of movement. With the area categorized as such, the real property value is extremely low that the proceeds of the sale are not even enough to pay for the downpayment for some other unit in a new accommodate development site (Parlow, 2007). What about areas in commercial districts that have been subjected to the process of eminent domain?The owner may have lived or conducted business in the area for the past twenty years but the government has the temerity to invoke the provisions of eminent domain to take control of said property simply because the adjacent school involves a playground or perhaps a football field. Where do ethics come in or is this just plain common sense? If you are the owner of the property, leading you be not in arms to stop the proceedings? Where is morality then? We trumpet the virtues of democracy to the outside world and in time in our own backyard we practice anarchy (Parlow, 2007).This go away all redound to displacement of all families unnatural by the claws of eminent domain. Families bequeath be evicted from their properties ripe(p) if there is a ready site for motility at least people can flow the inconvenience. But in most cases no relocation areas have been secured. Families bequeath now be subjected to the occupation of searching for a new place as a consequence of eviction. What about their transportation need to and from work, school for their children and perhaps the affordable medical go that were readily available in their previous area (Blight, 2001).The final consequence maybe and I accept that this will not be met by evicted homeowners or storeowners or they could be relegated as the new scum of society, being degraded to a bunch of un settled citizens that have the potential of creating troubles for the government. The government shall have increase the problems associated with the housing needs and get the ire of the population. What then has this accomplished for the government in the end? Nothing, and perhaps that it compounds the problems of the local anaestheticity (Hornberger, 2005).The law really smacks moral decadence, for how can you humanly evict families from their abodes without paying them fairly. almost may have inherited the property and as an ancestral abode, no amount would suffice in return for its sentimental value in the identical way that no amount could compensate for the Statue of Liberty, being the symbol of freedom that Americans deeply treasure. How can you peradventure sell an heirloom a gift from the people of France, this is no longer a question of ethics, not even morality though it b order of battles on bad taste perception and greed. What are the effects?Proponents of the measure on eminent domain will always sing the grim melody of development. Be that as it may, we can neer stop development from happening because it is dictated by the social status of the locality. But can we not negotiate with property owners so they can besides profit from the property they have tenuously carry on and paid for? It is more of a question of fair value for their property, an issue that is often ignored. Even for this gesture alone, the govern ment, particularly the developers will benefit from the support and acclaim of the property owners.Let us not push around our neighbors by invoking the right of eminent domain, because that simply will not work. Who then does not desire physiological development? When it means convenience to the inhabitants, particularly interchanges, super-highways, a modern airport terminal, a dazzling sports arena, an intimately-being school campus or a modern hospital. urban development on formerly blighted areas will be a big boost to the local trade as new shopping malls, five-star hotels, exponent towers and condominiums will be constructed. The local labor pass will benefit as well, since hundreds or maybe thousands of jobs will be made available.It will be a shot in the arm for the local economy since development will encourage a lot of investors to take a chance on the improved infrastructure facilities. The government will as well as benefit from increased revenues and create more silver to finance the needs of local inhabitants. But most of all, this would drastically alter the localitys fig and skyline for the better. With a booming economy, the government can now plan ahead. Maybe exploit some more the bonanza that the new development concurred and sort additional facilities to meet the increasing population requirements.As the citizens quality of life improves, new facilities will be needed, housing shortage will be felt, traffic congestion is possible as more and more cars will ply the streets and entertainment will be the call of the majority. The problems associated with crime and security will quadruple, new personnel will be added, practice of law cars and gadgets will be required by our law enforcement agencies. There will be no stopping, once the wheel of development starts to roll. Then when everything seems to have settled and everybody is accustomed to the set-up, the arms of development will try to break the already serene environment.So t he government will now invoke their right of eminent domain and the result, chaos strikes once again. It will be an unending cycle. The population will simply have to bear inconvenience and unfair treatment in the name of development. It is in the outlying implementation of eminent domain that government failed because officials can be incite only with the expected revenues from the urban renewal project to disregard their main advocacy and moral engagement to its constituents to promote, protect, and upheld the rights of the populace.Conclusion The moral and ethical question of the law on eminent domain had been subjected to criticisms from all sectors of society. It may be an effective tool for government to modify up development, but it oftentimes falls despotic to many property owners. Sadly, the peoples right to their property has been trampled once again with no less than the Supreme hail of the United States stamping its approval on the right of government to invoke the provisions of eminent domain. Consider this.In 1954 the Supreme Court gave a ruling in a controversial case that effectively gave government officials unlimited power to forfeit and redistribute lands, arguing that the concept of public offbeat is broad and inclusive. The values it represents are spiritual as well as physical, aesthetic and monetary. It is within the power of the legislature to determine that the community should be scenic as well as healthy, spacious as well as clean, well-balanced as well as carefully patrolled (Tenney, 1995).The comment of the High Court was indeed a chilling premonition since this gave government officials the legal right to evict anybody from their properties when necessary and at their convenience. In effect this erased the intentions of our forefathers and the framers of the Constitution the absolute right of individuals to hold on to their properties (Tenney, 1995). Just recently, in a new and daunting case of Kelo vs. City of sassy Lond on, Connecticut, the High Court upheld the previous ruling of 1954.In fact after due proceedings, a board was posted at the door of the petitioners home stating that the petitioner have four months to bowl over the property or else power police power will be used to prosecute the order based on the power of eminent domain (Larson, 2004). Is the ruling even fair? Is it morally mark to inflict undue suffering to the respondents? And is it ethical? The answer is no. That is why all the States of the Union are putting up legislations to curb the damning exploit and abuse on the power of the law on eminent domain. How it will affect the future, your guess will be as good as mine