The Emergence of Growth Management Planning in the United States: The Case of Golden v. Planning Board of Town of Ramapo and Its Aftermath

Abstract

The modern growth management movement in the United States solidly emerged with the 1972 decision of the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, in Golden v. Planning Board of Town of Ramapo. Here, the court upheld a phased development timing ordinance in which the approval of a special permit for residential development was linked to the provision of public infrastructure in accordance with an 18-year capital improvement program. This article examines how the Ramapo officials proceeded, the circumstances in which they operated, the resulting litigation, and the aftermath. It contends that, despite its influence on planning law and practice, the Ramapo system still had significant problems as an instrument of modern planning policy, creating a sprawling development pattern that is often viewed as exclusionary in places with few development options.