GraSPP Research Seminar
How does environmental regulation of land use affect the environment and the economy? They studied how recent changes to U.S. Clean Water Act regulation, measured using geophysical data and algorithms, affect land values and land use. Four findings emerge. First, a 2020 White House rule substantially reduced Clean Water Act regulation. Second, by deregulating wetlands, this rule increased the value of U.S. non-residential parcels, with larger effects for parcels facing greater deregulation and near-zero effects for residential parcels. Third, deregulation expanded permitting and impervious surfaces like pavement while reducing wetland area. Fourth, the aggregate increase in land values exceeds $100 billion; they compared this against the estimated loss in wetlands’ flood-mitigation services.
Date & Time:
9:30-11:15, Thursday, January 15, 2026
*The seminar will be held online*
Speaker:
Joseph S. SHAPIRO, Associate Professor, University of California Berkeley
Coordinator: Dr. Stacey H. Chen (GraSPP, UTokyo)
Registration:
Pre-registration is required: Registration Form