David W. Owens | UNC School of Government

About
As the largest
university-based local
government training,
advisory, and research
organization in the United
States, the School of
Government serves more
than 12,000 public officials
each year.
Browse by Role
The School provides
content and resources for a
wide array of local
government and judicial
officials in North Carolina.
Select your role to explore
all related content.
Local and State Government
Courts and Judicial Administration
Browse by Topic
The School provides content
and resources on a wide array
of topics in local government
and judicial administration in
North Carolina.
Select a topic to explore all
related content.
Local and State Government
Courts and Judicial Administration
Courses
The School of Government
offers up to 200 courses,
workshops, webinars, and
professional conferences
each year.
All Courses
Publications
The School of Government
publishes essential books,
manuals, reports, articles,
bulletins, and other print and
online content related to state
and local government.
All Publications
Browse
Blogs
Faculty write for a number
of School of Government
blogs providing timely
updates on emerging issues.
Resources
The School of Government
offers information and
services related to a wide
range of topics relevant to
government and judicial
officials—in-person and on a
variety of platforms.
- Blog Posts
- Centers and Services
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Knapp Library
- Legal Summaries
- Listservs
- Microsites
- Tools and Apps
Master of Public
Administration Program
The UNC MPA program prepares public service leaders. The program is offered in two formats: on-campus and online.
For more information, visit sog.unc.edu/mpa.
Giving
The School of Government depends on private and public support for fulfilling its mission. Your gift will make a lasting impact on the quality of government and civic participation in North Carolina.
Knapp Library
The Joseph Palmer Knapp Library houses a large collection of material on state and local government, public administration, and management to support the School's instructional and research programs and the educational mission of the Master of Public Administration program. Reference and research services are available to all residents of North Carolina, and additional assistance is available to state and local government personnel, both elected and appointed.
- Covid-19 Response

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 two widely used guides for citizen boards—Introduction to Zoning and Development Regulation and the Quasi-Judicial Handbook. He has also written on a wide variety of land use law topics, 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 a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Selected Publications

Owens, David. 2019. Land Use Law in North Carolina. Chapel Hill, NC. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government.

Lovelady, Adam and Owens, David. 2017. Quasi-Judicial Handbook: A Guide for Boards Making Development Regulation Decisions. Chapel Hill, NC. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government.

Owens, David. 2017. Introduction to Zoning and Development Regulation. Chapel Hill, NC. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government.

Lovelady, Adam, and Owens, David. 2020. Chapter 160D: A New Land Use Law for North Carolina. Chapel Hill, NC. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government.

Owens, David. "Plan-Consistency Statements." Planning and Zoning Bulletin #27. (November 2018). Chapel Hill, NC. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government.

Owens, David. "2018 Survey Report: Adoption and Administration of Local Development Regulations, Conditional Zoning, and Subdivision Administration." Planning and Zoning Law Bulletin #30. (December 2020). Chapel Hill, NC. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government.

David Owens CV February 2021 (pdf, 142.11 KB)

Fields of Expertise

Planning and Development Regulation

Environmental Law

This list consists of courses, e-learning modules and webinars which are associated with this profile. Use the filter provided to aid in your search.

Display Options

Results: {{node.courses.length}}

{{node.created}}

Course{{node.title_1}}

Start Dates{{node.field_offering_date}}

{{node.field_location_organisation_name}}

{{node.field_location_locality}}, {{node.field_location_administrative_area}}

{{node.field_job_title}}

{{node.body | limitTo:400}}...

This list consists of books, book chapters, bulletins, and reports which are associated with this profile. Use the filter provided to aid in your search.

Display Options

Results: {{node.publications.length}}

{{node.created}}

Course{{node.title_1}}

Start Dates{{node.field_offering_date}}

{{node.field_location_organisation_name}}

{{node.field_location_locality}}, {{node.field_location_administrative_area}}

{{node.field_job_title}}

{{node.body | limitTo:400}}...

This list consists of blog posts which are associated with this profile.

Display Options

Results: {{node.blogs.length}}

{{node.created}}

Course{{node.title_1}}

Start Dates{{node.field_offering_date}}

{{node.field_location_organisation_name}}

{{node.field_location_locality}}, {{node.field_location_administrative_area}}

{{node.field_job_title}}

{{node.body | limitTo:400}}...

This list consists of blogs, blog posts, FAQ collections, legal summaries, listservs, microsites, pages and tools which are associated with this profile.

Display Options

Results: {{node.resources.length}}

{{node.created}}

Course{{node.title_1}}

Start Dates{{node.field_offering_date}}

{{node.field_location_organisation_name}}

{{node.field_location_locality}}, {{node.field_location_administrative_area}}

{{node.field_job_title}}

{{node.body | limitTo:400}}...

About
As the largest
university-based local
government training,
advisory, and research
organization in the United
States, the School of
Government serves more
than 12,000 public officials
each year.
Browse by Role
The School provides
content and resources for a
wide array of local
government and judicial
officials in North Carolina.
Select your role to explore
all related content.
Local and State Government
Courts and Judicial Administration
Browse by Topic
The School provides content
and resources on a wide array
of topics in local government
and judicial administration in
North Carolina.
Select a topic to explore all
related content.
Local and State Government
Courts and Judicial Administration
Courses
The School of Government
offers up to 200 courses,
workshops, webinars, and
professional conferences
each year.
All Courses
Publications
The School of Government
publishes essential books,
manuals, reports, articles,
bulletins, and other print and
online content related to state
and local government.
All Publications
Browse
Blogs
Faculty write for a number
of School of Government
blogs providing timely
updates on emerging issues.
Resources
The School of Government
offers information and
services related to a wide
range of topics relevant to
government and judicial
officials—in-person and on a
variety of platforms.
- Blog Posts
- Centers and Services
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Knapp Library
- Legal Summaries
- Listservs
- Microsites
- Tools and Apps
Master of Public
Administration Program
The UNC MPA program prepares public service leaders. The program is offered in two formats: on-campus and online.
For more information, visit sog.unc.edu/mpa.
Giving
The School of Government depends on private and public support for fulfilling its mission. Your gift will make a lasting impact on the quality of government and civic participation in North Carolina.
Knapp Library
The Joseph Palmer Knapp Library houses a large collection of material on state and local government, public administration, and management to support the School's instructional and research programs and the educational mission of the Master of Public Administration program. Reference and research services are available to all residents of North Carolina, and additional assistance is available to state and local government personnel, both elected and appointed.
- Covid-19 Response

The website encountered an unexpected error. Please try again later.