Making Tea with Smart Growth: The Fall of Statewide Growth Management in Florida Samuel R. Staley, Ph.D. DeVoe L. Moore Center & Randall G. Holcombe Deparment of Economics Florida State University Presentation Prepared for the Preserving the American Dream annual conference, Washington, DC, October 28, e.

The Goal of Statewide Growth Management is to Expand Political Control Over Land Development Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October Economic Social/Cultural Politics

Florida’s Growth Management Struggles YearPopulation Change , ,468, , ,897, , ,771, , ,951,560 2,180, ,789,443 1,837, ,746,324 2,956, ,937,936 3,191, ,982,378 3,044, ,317,569 6,379,633 Population Growth Congestion Urban infrastructure Environmental degradation Lower housing affordability Solution: Growth Management (1985) Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October 20133

Hallmarks of Florida Growth Management Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October Started in 1970s; modified in 1985 Consistency:  top down planning  Compliance with State Plan Concurrency Anti-sprawl  Compact development

DCA determinations for Florida’s Submitted Plans Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October 20135

DCA determinations for Florida’s Submitted Plans Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October 20136

Costs of conventional planning Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October Development approval is lengthy Substantial upfront costs for entitlement and approval Housing markets are less dynamic, resilient and innovative Zoning is largely ineffective and serves to promote existing land uses

The heavy hand of state government planning Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October Compliance was negotiated  Cities: 2-4 years  Counties: 2 years DCA evaluated plans based on their ability to advance state goals  Not just compliance Concurrency prevented new development  Amendments allowed twice per year  Restricted current lands  Limited adding supply of new land

Housing affordability in Florida plummeted through out the 2000s Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October 20139

Effects of state planning on housing prices Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October

Public attention began to focus on these effects Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October Public resistance  Large land developers  Local elected officials  Property Rights coalitions Academic research showed the weaknesses of the act  DeVoe Moore Center  James Madison Institute Initiatives began to fail at the ballot box  Bipartisan resistance to Hometown Democracy

Florida’s Housing Market Collapse Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October

Rick Scott’s Ascendance Elected in 2010 with strong Tea Party support  Cut spending and taxes  Cut spending for education  Opposed Obamacare No friend of Smart Growth  Rejected federal spending for high-speed rail  Dismantled the Dept of Community Affairs Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October

Was the dismantling of DCA a Tea Party victory? Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October Tea Party created a broad base of support for shrinking government Tea Party as not influential in dismantling DCA  Reform was quick and an inside job Tea Party was weak in governance  Did not give strategic direction to reform efforts  Tea Party focus was on other, larger issues Tea Party support was politically necessary but not sufficient for implementation

Critical roles for the Tea Party Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October Raising awareness Providing popular political support Strategic policy focus Grass roots connection All of the above were crucial toward creating a political climate that allowed the dismantlement of the DCA

Thank You! Samuel R. Staley, Ph.D. DeVoe L. Moore Center, FSU e. Staley & Holcombe, Florida State University 28 October