America builds on the edge of disaster prone areas on seashores and rivers, next to highly flammable forests, and in valuable wetlands. The property rights and the investment-backed expectations of land owners stand as key hurdles to the use of government regulation to mitigate disasters.

While the integration of the natural and built environments is the leitmotif of modern planning philosophy, this causes tremendous tension when trying to reduce the economic, social, and human toll of natural disasters. The challenge of public policy is not to decry these cultural and political realities, but to draw upon them and also to challenge them in the service of sensible environmental regulation.

Losing Ground: A Nation on Edge calls attention to the emerging issues involved in building on the edge of vulnerable places, explores why we do this, and proposes ways to mitigate its impact. This volume contains creative thinking and informative analysis about new approaches to ecosystem management and environmental regulation that localities and states can implement to protect the environment, society, and property rights. This book proudly joins ELI's Ground Suite, the original critically acclaimed suite of books on land use and environmental law by Professor John Nolon.