Residential Growth: Looking at the Fiscal and Social Costs of Sprawl Development

Research

 Speakers:
William Molnar and Charles Taylor
803-788-5700, ext. 25
wmolnar@clemson.edu
Clemson University
Over the last 20 years South Carolina experienced significant growth along the coast and around its major cities. Nationally, urbanized land development has outpaced population increases 2 to 1. In South Carolina, from 1992-1997, the state population increased was 5.3% while the percent of developed land was 30.2% for an almost six-fold increase. The financial and social effects of sprawl growth is significant but not being addressed by the state or most counties. Clemson Univeristy, through the CIECD and STI, have conducted a number of Residential Fiscal Impact Assessments to determine the estimated cost to local government to provide new necessary services. The presenters will discuss common residential growth myths, the results of the assessments, and how communities have used this tool to develop local public policy. The Clemson University Laboratory for Deliberative Dialogue promotes and facilitates community and group deliberation on important issues facing the state and communities. One critical issue facing the state is poor planning and poorly planned growth. The Laboratory is conducting forums in 'bedroom' communities that deliberate on the social and financial implications of unplanned growth. We use two NIF issue books on land use and sprawl to structure the deliberation. The Laboratory Director will discuss the process and results of the community forums. We believe that these two programs will begin to create an environment of awareness of the changes taking place in rapidly growing 'bedroom' communities. In addition, we believe that these two efforts will promote better land use policy by state and local government decision makers.

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For more information about the conference, contact the conference co-chairs: Cindy Bigger, cbigger@umn.edu, (888) 241-0843, or Rick Maurer, richard.maurer@uky.edu, (859) 257-7582.

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