When it comes to urban planning, to what extent and under what conditions should the community's interest prevail over the rights of private property owners? Public Interest, Private Property addresses this question at a time when pollution, urban sprawl, and condo booms are forcing municipal governments to adopt prescriptive laws and regulations. Case studies focus on spheres in which public values and private property rights collide - expropriation law, natural resources regulation, green development, and water provision - laying the groundwork for more active debates on the issues currently shaping our cities.