The Influence of Kelo v. City of New London, Connecticut on the Use of Eminent Domain in Place Marketing and Economic Development

Seeking to enhance the economic growth of a respective business ecosystem, one tool in the governmental place marketer’s (place marketer) arsenal that has recently come under scrutiny is its ability to expropriate private property through eminent domain when assimilating parcels of land. While the practice of eminent domain by a sovereign government is rooted deep in Untied States law, its use in economic development initiatives was challenged in Connecticut when a recent ruling by the United States Supreme Court in Kelo v. The City of New London upheld a taking of property by the City of New London for a different kind of public use. The negative public reaction to this ruling spurred state and federal actions that sought to constrict the power of eminent domain in place marketing. This manuscript provides a review of the Kelo case and discusses the governmental place marketing implications associated with its ruling.