Shifting Sands: A Meta-Theory for Public Access and Private Property Along the Coast

Over half of the United States population currently lives near a coast. As shorelines are used by more people, developed by private owners, and altered by extreme weather, competition over access to water and beaches will intensify, as will the need for a clearer legal theory capable of accommodating competing private and public interests. One such public interest is the ability to walk along the beach, which seems simple enough. However, beach walking often occurs on this ambulatory shorel...