In Memoriam: Edward Ziegler

Dear DU community members,

We write with the sad news of the passing of Edward Zieglar, emeritus professor in the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver, on October 30, 2025, at the age of 77.

Professor Ziegler taught at DU for over 20 years and was the inaugural holder of the Robert B. Yegge Memorial Research Chair in Law. As an esteemed professor in land use, he co-founded and served as past president of DU’s Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute , which has provided nationally recognized leadership and research on issues related to community planning and sustainable development law and policy for more than 35 years. Likewise, his legal teaching and writing focused on zoning, urban planning, constitutional and administrative law, and the protection of private property rights, where his scholarship has had far-reaching impact. One of the more prolific and influential legal scholars of his generation, he authored the seminal treatise on the Law of Zoning and Planning, a five-volume compendium that is an authoritative source for land use lawyers. His casebook on Land Use Regulation has been used by law professors across the country to train young law students. His scholarship has been cited by state appellate courts in all fifty states and quoted in federal and U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Professor Ziegler was a European Union Erasmus Mundus Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Law and delivered invited lectures across China and Europe.

In his retirement, Professor Ziegler devoted himself to a wide range of causes and passions. He was, first and foremost, committed to understanding the impact of sports—especially football—on brain health, and was a driving force behind the Notre Dame Former Players Medical Research Project, a Boston University School of Medicine study that followed Notre Dame football players to assess impacts on their long-term physical and mental health. As a star running back at Notre Dame (where he was known as ‘Zig-Zag Ziegler’ for his distinctive style), Professor Ziegler was passionate about the sport and committed to the health and well-being of his fellow Fighting Irish. As a testament to his dedication to the health of others, he posthumously donated his brain tissue to the Boston University CTB Brain Bank for continued study. He also found time to nurture long-time friendships on Colorado’s blue-ribbon fishing streams, to dote on his beloved granddaughters, and to explore the joys of writing poetry. Until his passing, he returned annually to the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute’s March conference, to catch up with dear friends, to reminisce about the decades of work together, and to encourage DU’s continued work to promote responsible and sustainable land use.

For more details about Professor Ziegler, please visit the obituary on the Legacy website. A celebration of life will occur in Denver in March in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute’s annual conference.

Please join us in conveying our warmest condolences to Professor Ziegler’s family, friends, colleagues, and former students.

With very best regards,