This Friday, I will be speaking on the Case Western Reserve University School of Law conference on "Corporations and their Communities" (schedule available here). My presentation will be on the use of eminent domain and "economic development" takings to try to entice corporations to stay in a given community or come in. I will discuss why I think using eminent domain for such purposes is generally undesirable, not only from the standpoint of fairness to property owners but even with respect to the goal promoting longterm economic development in the community. Some of the points I plan to make are based on this article. I will also briefly discuss the extensive legislative backlash against economic development takings in the in the wake of Kelo v. City of New London (analyzed in this paper, on which I will soone be posting a major revision).

If you are a VC reader in the Cleveland area or otherwise interested in these issues, I hope you will drop by and check out the panel. The conference also includes many well-known scholars, including co-conspirator and Case Western professor Jonathan Adler.