David W. Owens | UNC School of Government

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David Owens joined the Institute of Government in 1989. Prior to that, he was an attorney and senior planner for the Wisconsin State Planning Office and spent 10 years with the NC Division of Coastal Management. His publications include numerous books and articles on zoning law, including the basic legal reference, Land Use Law in North Carolina, and the widely used guide for citizen boards, Introduction to Zoning. He has also written on a variety of land use law topics (variances, special use permits, extraterritorial jurisdiction), the scope of local government authority, urban growth management, regulation of religious land uses and adult businesses, conflicts of interest, planning legislation, and various aspects of coastal management law and policy. Owens received a graduate planning degree and law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Fields of Expertise

Citizen Participation and Civic Involvement

City and County Planning

Coastal Resources

Conflicts of Interest (Land Use)

Environmental Protection

Historic Districts

Land Use Regulation

Subdivision Regulation

Zoning

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