Local Public Services Costs and the Geography of Development: Evidence from Florida Counties

Keith R. Ihlanfeldt, Kevin Willardsen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Theory suggests that the spatial distribution of development within a local jurisdiction affects the costs of providing local public services. We use GINI coefficients to characterize these distributions at the county level and estimate the effects on real per capita expenditures from reductions in the spatial concentration of all buildings and nine alternative types of development. We also estimate the effect on expenditures from expansions in the developed area of a county. The results obtained from a panel of Florida counties confirm our theory and suggest that the geography of development within a county affects public services costs.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalJournal of Regional Science
Volume58
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2018

Keywords

  • Geography
  • Local Public Service
  • Spatial

Disciplines

  • Economics
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences

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