By Giovanna da Silva The 21st century has seen a substantial increase in public-private partnerships in the United States and around the world. The basic principle behind public-private partnerships, or P3s, is that government works with the private sector in order to build and finance public works projects. P3s have been increasingly encouraged by state … Continue reading Private Sector Can Shoulder Some of the Risk for New Road Construction
Middle Eastern Entrepreneurs Face Regulatory Hurdles
By Kristen Carpenter and Giovanna da Silva Entrepreneurship often serves as a means to achieve social change. In the Middle East, social enterprises such as Glowork foster advancement by providing the disenfranchised with empowerment and professional development opportunities. Many entrepreneurs and employment seekers in the area, however, face regulatory hurdles to starting their own business. … Continue reading Middle Eastern Entrepreneurs Face Regulatory Hurdles
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
Bethel Church: Visions of a Frenchtown Renaissance
N'namdi Green Since its official inception in 1870, Bethel Missionary Church has been a staple within the greater downtown area of Tallahassee. Throughout the years, Bethel Church has created and maintained a strong presence in the Frenchtown area by serving not only as a religious hub, but also as an epicenter for social engagement within … Continue reading Bethel Church: Visions of a Frenchtown Renaissance
Some Regulations Hinder Storm Recovery
By Chad Thomas and Matt Kelly One common policy response to hurricanes is to strengthen building codes. Former FEMA chairman Craig Fugate blames inadequate state and local building codes, rather than inept federal government disaster relief efforts, for the woeful response to Hurricane Katrina. After Hurricane Andrew in 1992, building code enforcement was enhanced in … Continue reading Some Regulations Hinder Storm Recovery
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
Preparing Florida’s Government Policy for The Next Big Hurricane
by Chad Thomas Political and economic conditions in New Orleans before 2005 left the city unprepared for Hurricane Katrina. The government bureaucracies responsible for levee maintenance were mismanaged and corrupt officials diverted needed funds. Weak economic performance before Katrina also set up affected areas for slow recovery afterward. New Orleans’ experience shows how government can … Continue reading Preparing Florida’s Government Policy for The Next Big Hurricane
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
EPA’s W.O.T.U.S. rule would affect much of Florida
By Tyler Worthington On June 29, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers added a new rule that redefined “Waters of the United States” (W.O.T.U.S.) to the Federal Register and broadened what streams, rivers, ponds, wetlands, ditches, and waterways are subject to federal regulations under the Clean Water Act. This rule marks … Continue reading EPA’s W.O.T.U.S. rule would affect much of Florida
Measuring Success and Failure in Public Transportation: The Case of Sunrail
By Santiago Arango In May, SunRail, Orlando’s commuter rail system, celebrated its first year of operation and was awarded a $93 million federal grant. Phase II of SunRail’s construction will add four more stations and 17.2 miles of rail into neighboring Osceola County within two years. Orlando is the 4th fastest growing city in … Continue reading Measuring Success and Failure in Public Transportation: The Case of Sunrail
Solar Farm Proposed In Tallahassee
By Logan Shewmaker City of Tallahassee Utilities officials recently received proposals from solar contractors to build a solar farm, which could produce up to 10 megawatts of electricity (1% of Tallahassee’s energy needs). The project is expected to occupy 100 acres of land, and cost roughly $30 million. David Byrne, manager of electric system integrated … Continue reading Solar Farm Proposed In Tallahassee
Orlando’s Soccer Stadium Not Worth Public Investment
By Logan Shewmaker U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) is pushing to expand into Florida. Between 2008 and 2013, the average MLS franchise’s market capitaliztion grew 175 percent. The average attendance for MLS games exceeds 18,000, higher than the NBA. “The beautiful game” is growing in the United States, but does MLS growth justify public subsidies? … Continue reading Orlando’s Soccer Stadium Not Worth Public Investment
B-Corps: A New Kind of Company
Original post date: September 23, 2014 Article by: Matt Kelly On July 20th, 2014, Rick Scott signed SB 654 into law, creating two new types of business entities. These benefit corporations or “B-Corps” are designed to encourage corporations to pursue charitable purposes, attempting to combine the strengths of both for-profits and nonprofits, while discarding each’s weaknesses. Such hybrid businesses could allow … Continue reading B-Corps: A New Kind of Company
Lima’s Transit Woes
Original post date: October 07, 2013 Article by: Ben Douglas The World Bank has devoted a considerable amount of funding in recent years to the establishment of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems in Latin America (and Africa). Numerous prominent Latin American cities have taken loans from the global financial institution for this purpose, including Mexico … Continue reading Lima’s Transit Woes
Buildings Don’t Create Permanent Jobs
Original post date: March 22, 2013 Article by: Sam Staley 5/8/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer compatible have been fixed. Gaines Street is the "it" place for Tallahassee's economic redevelopment initiatives, skirting the northern edge of the southern border of the Frenchtown/Southside Community Redevelopment Area. With large new projects going up along the … Continue reading Buildings Don’t Create Permanent Jobs
Is Florida Headed for a Seller’s Market?
Original Post date: July 10, 2012 Article by: Anonymous The subtitle of a recent Miami Herald Business Monday (6/18/2012) article read: “South Florida's real estate market suffers from depressed prices and low inventory [emphasis added].” With an average decrease of 49% in real estate values from the housing peak in 2006, perhaps suffering is an … Continue reading Is Florida Headed for a Seller’s Market?