The Commodification of "Nature's Metropolis": The Historical Context of Illinois' Unique Zoning Standards

Professor Bosselman takes an historical look at the early development of zoning in Chicago and concludes that the nineteenth century view of land as simply another form of capital that could be rendered standardized and fungible through commodification led to the adoption of the LaSalle factors. The author notes the influence of the human ecology theory of urban growth on the development of the LaSalle Bank standards and calls both for a reexamination of the theoretical foundations for the standards and for recognition that a theory based upon nineteenth century life may not accommodate the ecological realities of modern life.