entitlement

Definition

The legal right to develop land according to approved plans, secured through zoning approvals, permits, and regulatory compliance. Developers chase these permissions like dragons hoarding gold, because they dramatically increase land value.

Example Usage

After three years navigating bureaucracy, the developer finally secured full entitlement to build 200 residential units.

Origin

Land use planning terminology from mid-20th century American development

Fun Fact

Entitled land can be worth 3-10 times more than raw land without development rights, despite being physically identical.

Source: Land development and zoning terminology

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