Whatever Happened To Ramapo?

Golden v. Ramapo marked the first time in the U.S. that a town was legally approved to control its own growth.

1 minute read

December 24, 2003, 9:00 AM PST

"Sprawling, ethnically and racially diverse, and teeming with villages, the miles northwest of New York City, is a mixture of parkland, suburban tracts, high-density enclaves, and bustling shopping centers, in different degrees of decay and renewal. Ramapo is also renowned among planners for its early growth management system -- but the hopes and expectations of 1966 have bumped up against nearly four decades of political reality... Ramapo resonates because of Golden v. Ramapo, a 1972 case in which the Court of Appeals of New York (the state's highest court) marked the first time in the U.S. that a town was legally approved to control its own growth. At issue was a planned development system the town adopted in 1969 as a way to effectuate its 1966 master plan."

Thanks to Laura Kranz

Read the full story: Whatever Happened to Ramapo?

Thursday, December 18, 2003 in Planning Magazine

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