Keep Out: The Struggle for Land Use Control offers a compelling exploration of resistance to capitalist expansion and political centralization in the United States. This incisive work examines a less commonly considered opposition: American landowners who leverage private property rights and land use policies to challenge corporate and governmental incursions. The book highlights how landowners, from affluent suburbanites to marginalized rural communities, wield these rights to thwart industrial projects, infrastructure developments, and urban expansion, often in defense of their environmental, social, and economic interests. It delves into the paradox of private property as both a cornerstone of capitalist development and a tool for resisting its overreach.

Through historical analysis, case studies, and theoretical insights, the book illustrates the tension between the capitalist imperatives of growth and the exclusionary logic of landownership. By addressing issues like environmental degradation, gentrification, and community autonomy, the author reveals the broader implications of land use conflicts for democracy, social equity, and sustainable development. Keep Out not only dissects the systemic forces driving these struggles but also raises critical questions about the future of land use policy, urging readers to consider how democratic values can be preserved amidst the pressures of economic expansion. This thought-provoking study is essential for anyone interested in urban planning, environmental justice, and the dynamics of power in capitalist societies.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1987.

Contributor: Sidney Plotkin Enter the Author Bio(s) here.