Urban Sprawl and State Growth Management Programs: Why Certain States Have Adopted Policy Open Access

Abstract

While many previous studies have examined the effectiveness of state growth
management policies, few have focused on the reasons for the adoption of such
legislation. This study investigates why certain states have adopted growth management
legislation using comparative data analysis and case studies. The empirical results show
that population growth rate, competing interest groups, and strong governors make a state
more likely to adopt smart growth policy. The case studies of Florida, a state with a
growth management program, and Texas, a state without one, illustrate that political
circumstance specific to each state at a certain time play a role, as well. The combination
of the comparative data analysis and case studies show that certain political or
demographic factors alone cannot always accurately predict a state's adoption of smart
growth policy, and idiosyncratic forces often trump a state's statistical proclivity to adopt
growth management legislation.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..1
Literature Review………………………………………………………………………….2
Determinants of the Adoption of State Growth Management Policy: Indicators and
Hypotheses……………………………………………………………………………….12
States' Smart Growth Legislation Summaries……...…...……...…………...……….......18
Data and Discussion……………………………………………………………………...30
Case Studies……………………………………………………………………………...40
Conclusion..................................................................................................................…...54
Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………59
References………………………………………………………………………………..63


List of Tables and Figures

Figure 1……………………………………………………………………………………4
Table 1…………………………………………………………………………………...31
Table 2……………………………………………………………………………….......33
Table 3…………………………………………………………………………………...36
Table 4…………………………………………………………………………………...37
Table 5…………………………………………………………………………………...39

Document Outline

• Honors-Intro Pages and Table of Contents.pdf
• Honors-Working Thesis Draft.pdf

About this Honors Thesis

Rights statement

• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Emory College
Department	Political Science
Degree	BA
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Political Science, General
Keyword	growth management state policy urban sprawl policy adoption smart growth
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Rich, Michael, Emory University
Committee Members	Doner, Richard, Emory University Buzbee, William, Emory University

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