State of Florida

Cost of Growth Study 
   

For a special Governor's Task Force on Urban Growth Patterns, Duncan Associates prepared a fiscal impact study of urban development patterns within the state of Florida to determine if land use and locational criteria had a measurable effect upon public facility costs. The study analyzed capital and operating costs required to provide road, water, wastewater, park, solid waste, fire, police and library facilities and services to eight actual study areas within the state. The study confirmed that three factors did, in fact, significantly affect public facility costs: use, density and distance.

The study focused on off-site external costs of mixed use development. Land use and distance, rather than density, were primary areas of investigation. It is also notable that previous studies focused on hypothetical and prototypical areas, while this study compared development patterns in eight actual case study areas. In summary, the study revealed that only about two-thirds of all public facilities required by new development were actually being funded by new development (see bar chart above). Only solid waste and police services, two relatively non-capital intensive services, were fully paid for and schools, a service requiring extensive and expensive infrastructure, had the greatest funding deficit. Based on the conclusion that compact, infill and high density development was more efficient to serve than scattered, lineal and low density development, the study recommended that Florida discourage urban sprawl, encourage compact and infill development, and assure that the full direct and indirect (marginal) public costs of serving new development is paid for by those who actually benefit from the services.

Period:    March 1989 - August 1989               Contact:    Ben Starrett
Team:      Duncan Associates                                           Project Manager
               Van Horn-Gray Associates                                  904.488.8466 
               Ivey Bennett Harris & Walls                               
               Wade Trim Inc.