States such as Texas ("Municipal Utility Districts") and Florida ("Community Development Districts") authorize the creation of developer-initiated special purpose districts. These districts can issue infrastructure development bonds which are then paid off by future residents. Development districts in many respects act as a substitute for municipal governments, but operate much differently, raising important efficiency and equity questions.
This is an umbrella project for several different research efforts focused on the adoption and implementation of local government environmental policies. A central theoretical focus of this project is how local government institutions such as the structure of city councils and the mayor/city manager office mediates the influence of interest groups on policy decisions. We are also interested in how the environmental and energy policies we study are connected to the broader of idea of sustainability.
We are exploring the institutional and social factors involved with the adoption and diffusion or innovative grazing practices. This is in collaboration with rangeland ecologists who will use an experimental rangeland to measure changes in ecosystem services under different grazing strategies. Survey data will be collected from California and Wyoming ranchers to understand the factors influencing adaptive decision-making.
