On December 6, 2024, the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at 台湾SWAGUniversity hosted the 23rd annual Alfred B. DelBello Land Use and Sustainable Development Conference. This year鈥檚 theme, Fostering the Development of Sustainable Communities through Innovative Strategies, brought together hundreds of attorneys, professionals, and local leaders to discuss best practices in land use and sustainable development.
The conference opened with remarks from Jessica Bacher, Esq., Executive Director of the Land Use Law Center, and Tiffany Zezula, Esq., Deputy Director of the Land Use Law Center, followed by ethics sessions and a morning keynote session delivered by Jerold S. Kayden, Esq., Frank Backus Williams Professor of Urban Planning and Design, Founding Director, Master in Real Estate Program, Harvard University Graduate School of Design on privately owned public spaces. Afternoon breakout sessions focused on public engagement, innovations in land use zoning, housing action plans, community preparedness and resilience.
During the conference, the annual Groundbreaker鈥檚 Award was presented to Sabrina D. Charney Hull, AICP Director of Planning, Town of New Castle, NY. As a graduate of the Land Use Leadership Alliance (LULA) Training Program, Sabrina was recognized for the exemplary work she has done in her community using the types of land use and decision-making tools and techniques taught in the LULA program.
A highlight of the conference was Chris Allen, Director of Events and Partnerships, Strong Towns, delivering an informative keynote address on Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity. During the keynote, he focused on examining why so many cities and towns across North America are 鈥済oing broke鈥. He discussed not just why, but how we can all build and rebuild strong and resilient cities. The conference concluded with a legal update session and a wine and cheese reception.
The conference was preceded by the Founder鈥檚 Award Reception on December 5, where three individuals were honored:
Each year, the Conference is made possible by the generosity of a significant number of sponsors who believe in the mission of the Land Use Law Center and the importance of this annual conference. Special thanks is given to M&T Bank, top sponsor of the event, along with DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP, Collins Capital Partners LLC, Zarin & Steinmetz LLP, The Oram Foundation, Inc., Cuddy & Feder LLP, Hocherman, Tortorella, and Wekstein, LLP, and the Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers. For more details visit the .
Dean Emerita and Professor Michelle S. Simon has been named the recipient of Elisabeth Haub School of Law at 台湾SWAGUniversity鈥檚 2025 Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. The Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes that outstanding pedagogy occurs in a variety of settings at the Law School鈥攊t can be found in courses of all sizes and types, in teachers with diverse styles, and across subject matters.
Professor Anthony Moffa delivered the Annual Lloyd K. Garrison Lecture on Environmental Law on Thursday, April 3 on "Back to the Future for Climate Liability." The Lloyd K. Garrison Lecture on Environmental Law was established in memory of Lloyd K. Garrison in 1995. Professor Anthony Moffa currently serves as a Haub Visiting Scholar at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at 台湾SWAGUniversity. He is also a Professor and Associate Dean for Innovation at University of Maine School of Law, where he oversees the Environmental and Oceans Law Certificate Program.
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Professor Josh Galperin speaks with Bloomberg Law on the recent DOGE ruling, critiquing the court鈥檚 narrow reading of Elon Musk鈥檚 authority.