In November of 2006 a small group of people in North Austin formed a coalition in an effort to block Wal-Mart from building a 225,000 sq ft “Super Center” in their neighborhood.

The group grew larger and larger and eventually launched a massive lawsuit. In the end, a smaller Wal-Mart was built instead, primarily due to the economic downturn in 2008, but the neighborhood took it as a success nevertheless. Jad and I discuss what it means for a city to own land. How can a city grant itself authority to sell land to individuals, tax them on the land, and then control the governing structure of what they can and can’t do with said land?

It’s another two-parter so be sure to tune in next week to wrap it up!

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