Current Search: Urban Ecology Sociology--Florida (x)
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Title
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The social ecology of growth management: An analysis of Florida's urban communities.
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Creator
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Watson, Robert P., Florida Atlantic University, DeGrove, John M.
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Abstract/Description
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That growth management as a field of study is relatively young is observable in the lack of theory about the phenomenon. Not surprisingly, the literature contains numerous criticisms of the inadequacy of existing research and calls for the development of empirically-based decision-making models and theory in the field. This paper studies cities and counties in Florida with the objective of analyzing the "social ecology" of urban growth-managing communities. Here, the term social ecology is...
Show moreThat growth management as a field of study is relatively young is observable in the lack of theory about the phenomenon. Not surprisingly, the literature contains numerous criticisms of the inadequacy of existing research and calls for the development of empirically-based decision-making models and theory in the field. This paper studies cities and counties in Florida with the objective of analyzing the "social ecology" of urban growth-managing communities. Here, the term social ecology is used to represent social forces in the policy macroenvironment. At present there is no clear answer as to what community characteristics are associated with growth management policy and what are the social pressures underlying community growth-managing policy orientations. A dynamic and complex policy issue, growth management is conceptualized in this study both broadly and operationally in terms of five major policy issues pertaining to growth management: Economic development/redevelopment; housing; infrastructure; environmental protection; and urban design/community character. Governments of the 36 counties and 28 cities in Florida with populations of at least 50,000 were surveyed to obtain information on their growth management policy priorities. Of the approximately one dozen states currently employing statewide, comprehensive systems to manage growth, Florida is considered a national leader. Furthermore, as it has been experiencing one of the nation's highest growth rates over the past two decades, Florida is an important growth management data source to study. The research involved two stages. The first stage used bivariate statistical analyses and tests of association to identify those variables in the urban social ecology related to each of the growth management policy issues studied, from which descriptive models of association were constructed. The second stage used factor analysis to identify and analyze the principal factors characterizing the growth management policies, from which broad theory about the social ecology of growth management was developed. In summary, this study analyzes and explains growth management policy in terms of three principal factors characterizing the urban community. The study offers descriptive models and theory analyzing the forces that shape growth management policy and thus provides a conceptual framework for policy analysis to assist policy makers with decision making. Equally important, the findings provide direction for further study in the field.
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Date Issued
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1991
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12286
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Subject Headings
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Urban Ecology (Sociology)--Florida, Community Development, Urban--Florida
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Format
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Document (PDF)
