By Giovanna da Silva Many view the United States as a free market capitalist state and Nordic countries such as Sweden and Finland as socialist due to their extensive welfare system. Yet, in the United States, most roads, highways, and other transportation infrastructure are publicly owned and operated. Meanwhile, the vast majority of roads in … Continue reading Why the U.S. Should Adopt the Nordic Approach to Private Roads
A Brief History of Frenchtown
By Jordan Greer With Frenchtown development becoming one of the spotlight issues in the city of Tallahassee's future economic redevelopment plans, a look at the social and economic context for this marginalized area of the city might be useful. On July 4th 1825, the federal government granted $200,000 worth of northern Florida territory to Marquis … Continue reading A Brief History of Frenchtown
Government Consolidation Rarely Lives Up to Promises
By Matt Kelly Government consolidation is an often-touted solution to economic and social problems in American cities. Several initiatives to combine local governments have resulted in conjoined regional governments, including Indianapolis-Marion County (IN), Athens-Clarke County (GA), and Jacksonville-Duval County (FL). Tallahassee and Leon County have seen six campaigns for consolidation over 50 years, all of … Continue reading Government Consolidation Rarely Lives Up to Promises
Economic Freedom Key to Cities’ Success
By Matt Kelly Economic freedom is the unrestricted ability of people in a country to associate and transact with one another. Measuring economic freedom has become a growing area of academic research. Probably the best known measure is the index constructed for the “Economic Freedom of the World” annual report on 159 countries published by … Continue reading Economic Freedom Key to Cities’ Success
Tallahassee’s Local Permitting Process Reviewed
By Benjamin Peterson, Colin Cook, and Scott Williams One of the core issues of the DeVoe Moore Center (DMC) is regulatory streamlining and reform. Previous reports on local permitting have considered particular development types, including shopping centers and telecommunications towers. The DMC’s Data Analytics Group continues to examine the permitting process and most recently began … Continue reading Tallahassee’s Local Permitting Process Reviewed
Study Finds Growth Management Laws Reduce Housing Affordability
by Matt Kelly A new study by Cato Institute Senior Fellow Randal O’Toole explores the history and effects of growth management in the United States. Growth-management laws, according to O’Toole, “restrict rural development in order to force most growth into the cities.” In “The New Feudalism: Why States Must Repeal Growth-Management Laws” O’Toole finds these … Continue reading Study Finds Growth Management Laws Reduce Housing Affordability
New Study Examines Spillover Effects of Real Estate Owned Properties
Since the housing market collapse, banks have repossessed large numbers of homes. These REO or real estate owned properties are often vacant and rundown and can lower the values of nearby residences. While research confirms this spillover effect of REOs on other properties, few studies have evaluated its relative magnitude in different neighborhoods. DeVoe Moore … Continue reading New Study Examines Spillover Effects of Real Estate Owned Properties
Tax Increment Financing Has Unclear Effects
By Casey Barr Originally used in California in 1952, TIF is the most widely utilized type of economic development program in the nation, with 49 states and the District of Columbia currently authorize its use. Arizona is the only state that does not allow its use. In 2012, California limited the use of TIF after evidence … Continue reading Tax Increment Financing Has Unclear Effects
Decision-making in a Community Redevelopment Agency
By Casey Barr As discussed in a previous blog post, Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) are a form of special district government that funds local redevelopment projects with taxpayer subsidies. But how are spending and organizational decisions made in a CRA? (Source: City of Tallahassee. Available at: https://www.talgov.com/cra/CRAHome.aspx) CRAs can only be established when two governmental units, such … Continue reading Decision-making in a Community Redevelopment Agency
New Report Analyzes Tallahassee’s Permitting Process
By Matt Kelly An efficient regulatory process is essential to the business development strategies of cities like Tallahassee, Florida. Regulations that are too cumbersome or unnecessary increase the cost of doing business without serving the public interest. The growth and negative impact of regulatory accumulation at the federal level has been well documented, but local … Continue reading New Report Analyzes Tallahassee’s Permitting Process