Beyond Privatopia: Rethinking Residential Private Government
For those looking for a second-generation analysis of community associations, Beyond Privatopia is essential. In his 1994 classic, Privatopia, Evan McKenzie documented the rise of a major new American governing institution, the private community association. Local government was being privatized on a massive scale--not always to the best effects, McKenzie concluded. In this new book he explores developments since then; as always, he is skeptical of conventional wisdom and proposes significant reforms. --Robert H. Nelson, Professor, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, and author of Private Neighborhoods and the Transformation of Local GovernmentFor international scholars of private urban governance, Evan McKenzie's writings are among the richest and most trusted sources. His unique position as an open-minded and thoughtful political scientist and a practicing lawyer who advises homeowner associations means that Beyond Privatopia, like his earlier Privatopia, will become required reading. McKenzie's insights increase the probability that legal protections for public governments, private governments, and homeowners will emerge. --Chris Webster, Professor of Urban Planning and Development, Cardiff UniversityOnce again Evan McKenzie joins great scholarship with practical experience to explain the legal and social nuances of common interest developments. In Beyond Privatopia, he shows us why private government has come to dominate new housing and provides insight into why community associations often do not work as intended. McKenzie's assessment will interest anyone looking to understand the history, challenges, and survival of America's thousands of community associations. --Tyler P. Berding, author of The Uncertain Future of Community Associations