| The existing literature on transfer of development rights (TDRs) focuses on the mechanics of the tool and a few exemplary programs. Understudied in the academic research is the use of TDR in a broader policy and geographic context. This research fills this gap with an analysis of the adoption and performance of Florida TDR programs used to manage growth. The dissertation documents the breadth and history of Florida local government use of TDRs, examining the geographic extent, evolution over time, common approaches, and outcomes of county-level TDR programs. The dissertation combines an exploratory scan, statistical analysis, and comparative case study research to test two hypotheses. First, it is hypothesized that Florida counties adopt TDR primarily to comply with state growth management and property rights policies. Second, it is expected that TDR programs will demonstrate variation in use and outcomes based on local political and contextual factors. The research identifies two phases in Florida TDR program use, each corresponding to a distinct approach to TDR. In the first phase, local governments adopted TDR in compliance with state growth management requirements. A second phase of TDR use emerged in the 2000s, when state property rights legislation as well as local factors including growth pressures in rural areas, development interests among large property owners, and political support for smart growth led to adoption of a new generation of TDR programs. The dissertation finds that the majority of Florida county TDR programs demonstrate a combination of market failure and government failure, with limited transaction activity and growth management outcomes overall. The research finds that development interests influence use of TDR, which can mask a pro-growth reality or present an unworkable tension between conservation and development. In particular, new generation TDR programs, which direct development to rural areas, increase sprawl and infringe on resource lands, while the promise of compact communities envisioned under these programs remains uncertain. The research finds evidence that, in Florida, smaller-scale TDR programs best facilitate open market transactions while pro-growth interests can appropriate large area programs. These findings indicate that market-based tools may be inadequate to achieve significant growth management outcomes. |
