Arizona's Proposition 207: Growth management policy and the property rights movement

This thesis began in response to a series of private property rights ballot measures in four U.S Western states and their implications for growth management planning. Arizona was the only state to pass a referendum, Proposition 207, making it the second state in the country to pass this specific type of private property rights protection legislation. Oregon was the first, with Measure 37 in 2004. This study is an exploratory attempt to gauge the Arizona professional planning community's response to Proposition 207 and how it might impact growth management planning. These relationships are examined within the context of the Property Rights Movement. There is particular interest in whether preliminary response techniques are being implemented, or even under discussion. The research findings suggest potential for transfer development rights programs and other non-regulatory tools as a response to regulatory restrictive legislation. The possibility for these types of land use planning tools is explored in the conclusion.; Keywords. proposition 207, ballot initiative, growth management, property rights movement, transfer development rights.