Communities across the United States are navigating increasingly complex challenges: housing affordability, infrastructure investment, climate resilience, and equitable economic development. At the center of many of these issues is a fundamental factor: how we use, govern, and invest in land.

Land policy shapes the way that communities address critical needs like housing supply, transportation, economic opportunity, and environmental sustainability. Many public sector professionals and community development leaders are looking for formal education focused specifically on land policy, planning frameworks, and development law.

Claremont Lincoln University (CLU), the university of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, offers the expertise in land policy and leadership development to build the skills and capacity central to strengthening communities. Together with the Lincoln Institute, a global leader in research and education focused on land use and stewardship, CLU is expanding educational opportunities designed to equip the next generation of civic leaders with the tools needed to address complex land challenges.

To support this effort, CLU and the Lincoln Institute recently launched a portfolio of programs focused on land policy, planning, and development designed for professionals working across local government, community development, economic development, housing, and planning.

Preparing Professionals to Shape Communities

Effective land policy requires interdisciplinary knowledge. Professionals working in community and economic development must navigate planning frameworks, legal regulations, development processes, and public policy, all while engaging communities and balancing competing priorities.

These new programs bring these disciplines together to help prepare leaders for this work.

The Master in City and Regional Planning prepares professionals to guide sustainable growth and land-use planning. Students build expertise in planning policy, land economics, sustainability, and development strategies that help communities respond to challenges such as housing shortages, regional growth, and climate resilience.

The Master of Legal Studies in Land Policy: Land Use, Planning, and Developmentprovides a non-JD pathway for professionals who regularly work with zoning regulations, development approvals, housing law, and land-use governance. The program helps planners, public administrators, and community development leaders better understand the legal frameworks that shape land policy and implementation.

To strengthen the pipeline of future leaders entering the field, CLU and the Lincoln Institute also launched the Bachelor in Land Policy and Real Estate Development, which introduces students to land economics, development processes, planning systems, and real estate markets. The bachelor’s completion program prepares graduates for careers across the public, nonprofit, and private sectors shaping the built environment.

Together, these programs create a comprehensive educational pathway, from undergraduate study through advanced graduate training, focused on land policy leadership.

Supporting the Work of Community Development Professionals

For organizations such as NACCED and its members, building expertise in land policy is particularly important.

County and community development departments are on the front lines of addressing many of today’s most pressing challenges. They work to expand housing access, steward federal and state funding, guide regional planning efforts, and promote inclusive economic growth.

Each of these priorities depends on thoughtful land-use policy and strong leadership capacity.

By equipping professionals with deeper expertise in planning, land economics, and development law, programs like those at CLU and the Lincoln Institute aim to strengthen the ability of local governments and community organizations to design and implement durable solutions to build resilient, equitable, and thriving places.

Visit www.claremontlincoln.edu to learn more and apply for the upcoming Summer 1 term. The application deadline is April 21, 2026.