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
Regulations Hinder Growth of Florida’s Solar Energy Sector
By Sam Stadtlander and Giovanna da Silva In 1883, Charles Fritts created the first solar cell and established the path towards developing renewable solar energy. Since then, the 20th and 21st centuries have seen increased demand for technological innovation in the solar sector as an alternative to natural gas and other conventional energy sources. Due to … Continue reading Regulations Hinder Growth of Florida’s Solar Energy Sector
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
Tourism Vital to Florida’s Economy
By Erick Winterkamp Florida is known around the world for its white sandy beaches, diverse wildlife and theme parks. These environmental and manmade attractions make it a hotspot for domestic and international tourism. State and local taxes and spending have impacted the tourism industry, but Florida would likely be a tourism destination with or without … Continue reading Tourism Vital to Florida’s Economy
A Penny Seized is a Penny Earned: Asset Forfeiture in Florida
By Matt Kelly and Tyler Worthington Asset forfeiture is a tool used by federal and local law enforcement to seize property from people they believe may have been involved in a crime. In some cases, property has been seized and not returned to the accused even if charges were not filed or dropped. Local governments … Continue reading A Penny Seized is a Penny Earned: Asset Forfeiture in 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
New Study Sheds Light on Ridesharing’s Labor Market
By Matt Kelly Few economic issues have been more talked about this year than the disruptive forays into the taxi market by ridesharing technology companies like Uber and Lyft. It seems reasonable to assume ridesharing drivers are of the same ilk as traditional taxi drivers, yet little academic research has been done...until now. A recent … Continue reading New Study Sheds Light on Ridesharing’s Labor Market
Is Florida All Aboard for Intercity Railroads?
By Matt Kelly A battle over railroads is underway in the Sunshine State. Activists in Florida have stridently protested All Aboard Florida (AAF), which will launch the United State’s first privately funded and operated intercity rail service in over 50 years. AAF’s opponents strongly doubts the enterprise’s financial viability. Generally, rail services across the country … Continue reading Is Florida All Aboard for Intercity Railroads?
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
Will Elon Musk’s Hyperloop Doom High-Speed Rail?
Original post date: August 15, 2013 Article by: Sam Staley Elon Musk unveiled his pneumatic tube inspired Hyperloop, a “fifth mode” of transportation that he hopes will revolutionize intercity travel on Monday. His “technical paper” sketches out the engineering and technical plausibility of the concept, and the proposal seems surprisingly robust as I point out … Continue reading Will Elon Musk’s Hyperloop Doom High-Speed Rail?