This report discusses airport compatible land use requirements, the legal issues related to achieving airport compatible land use, and legal issues particular to eliminating hazardous obstructions to airspace. The report concludes by reviewing the major legal issues of concern in achieving airport-compatible land use. While general legal principles relevant to airport land use are well established, they are often applied on a case by case basis, particularly in the context of regulatory takings and inverse condemnation. This ad hoc analysis introduces, if not an element of unpredictability, at least some variation in the law by jurisdiction. The need for greater predictability highlights the significance of including airport zoning as part of comprehensive land use planning. This report should be helpful to airport administrators, attorneys, board members, financial officers, community members in the vicinity of airports, realtors, and city and county zoning officials.

Converting land near airports from residential and other airport-incompatible uses to commercial, industrial, or other airport-compatible uses provides a potential solution to the airport noise problem. The study developed a methodology for analyzing the feasibility of redevelopment and applied it in four case study airport areas: Los Angeles International, Miami International, Long Island-MacArthur (Islip, N.Y.), and Aallas-Fort Worth. The study examined existing land use patterns, the impact of current land use controls, prices for incompatible land, the market for compatible reuses of impacted land, community participation in redevelopment, and institutional and political barriers to successful redevelopment. The study found incompatible land uses prevalent and increasing in all areas. Redevelopment was found to be an effective and permanent but generally very expensive solution, because of high land acquisition costs and low demand for reuses. Redevelopment can be justified only in selected, small, heavily impacted areas. Pre-emption of vacant land and effective zoning and land use planning are other options for land use control strategy. (Author).