Nicholas, James C.

This thesis extends the analysis of the economic benefits of historic
preservation from the individual property owner to the entire
community. Analyses are made of Miami Beach, Florida - once a wealthy
resort community - and Palm Beach, Florida - which has maintained its
status as a wealthy resort community. By comparing Miami B~ch results
with Palm Beach results, the analyses determine whether Miami Beach's
preservation decisions, which pertained to its character and residential
nature, have resulted in an adverse impact on its economic vitality.
The type of analysis used is a time series analysis. Time series
analyses of each community's individual tax base are conducted to
determine whether age has had a positive or negative impact on the
community. The analyses showed that in Miami Beach, as time passed,
the tax base declined; yet in Palm Beach, as time passed, the tax base
improved. Given the analyses, together with the history of the communities,
it is concluded that massive reinvestment in new buildings
did not result in an enhanced economic vitality in Miami Beach.

The state of Florida recognized that the negative effects
of development in the Florida Keys were extending beyond
the local area and affecting the broader interests of the
state itself. In an attempt to regulate growth and its
effects, the state, in 1975, designated the archipelago off
its southern coast an Area of Critical State Concern.
Besides the environmental changes, this designation and its
accompanying land use regulations have t he potential to
create economic impacts. This thesis analyzes the Keys'
economy and determines if the critical area designation
impacted the local economy.

The development of a theory for facilitating the emergence
of an export base in existing communities. Through
examination of various challenge response mechanisms that
operate on an existing community during the emergence of a new
export base, with the inclusion of other factors that influence
the recovery from stagnation which preceeds recovery, a
theoretical construct is developed to give insight us to how
lags between stagnation and recovery can be shortened. An
application of the development is included at the end of each
chapter to the City of Miami Beach, Florida.

This thesis includes an overview of modern land use
regulation from the Euclid decision in 1926 to the American
Law Institute's Model Land Development Code. The main emphasis
of this thesis is the Code's "districts of critical state
concern". Florida, in enacting the Environmental Land and
Water Management Act in 1972, used the ALI Code as a model for
its "areas of critical state concern".
The Florida Keys are studied in this thesis in regards
to this type of designation in order to research the intergovernmental
aspects and problems of this legislation. A
survey of the people of the Keys and interviews with their
elected officials during the first few months following their
designation as one of critical state concern uncovered some
of the inherent difficulties involved when the state imposes
its guidelines on a local municipality within the ALI context.

The rise of exploitative Banker Capitalism since the Civil War
precipitated the development of a social welfare school of
applied economics that is called institutional economics.
This thesis reviews the major contributors to the field (Commons,
Veblen and Mitchell) and the resulting manpower legislation
that went into effect as the result of their efforts.

Revenue Sharing in Florida is analyzed as to its fiscal impact in
Florida municipalities. The State and local tax structures are surveyed
and the economics of the property tax is discussed. The objectives
delineated by the State and Federal revenue sharing systems are
examined to determine the extent to which revenue sharing meets such
objectives. The impact of revenue sharing on the revenue and expenditure
systems is determined. A sample of twenty-four cities in Florida
has been chosen for the analysis.

The rising fervor of nationalism in post-colonial Ghana culminated in hatred
of foreigners and fear of alien control of economic enterprises. As a result of
this growing anti-alien sentiment, all aliens without valid residence permits
were expelled from Ghana in late 1969. The purpose of alien expulsion was to
increase domestic employment by offering to Ghanaians the positions previously
held by aliens.
This thesis examines the economic logic of alien expulsion. Certain assumptions
had to have been made in order for alien expulsion to increase domestic
employment. Each of these assumptions is examined to see if it accurately depicted
the conditions it described. The results of alien expulsion are then examined
in light of the logic set up by this thesis.

This research was done under an internship program for
Deerfield Beach, Florida. Costs of providing municipal services
to land outside the city were projected as were revenues
expected to accrue to the city. Projections were made both
for the current level of development, and for that time when
the land was developed at its ultimate holding capacity.
Projections for the near future clearly showed that revenues
would exceed costs for land which is currently developed.
Costs would exceed revenues if services were extended to
undeveloped lands. Projections based on the ultimate holding
capacity were less certain. For most of the land area, property
tax revenues would yield revenues equal to about half
of expected expenditures. Uncertainties prevented estimation
of total revenues for the long run.
The focus of this thesis was on direct, tangible costs
and revenues. Intangible aspects were stated, but not
evaluated.

This study analyzes the possible location for the proposed South
Florida Regional Airport. The investigation is implemented through a
simple gravity model, which employes population, tourism, and income
distribution data along with a time-distance matrix to determine optimal
airport location. Additional analysis is undertaken to determine the
feasibility of a mass transit system providing access to the airport and
possible market areas which would be serviced by the facility. While
this study attempts to make no conclusions beyond the scope of the analysis
presented, it does generate several important conclusions. First, that a
site near Andytown, Florida, is superior to a site located near the
Everglades National Park. Second, the facility if constructed at Andytown
should be planned to service all of South Florida. Third, if the considerations
for future growth and development are sufficient to warrant the
selection of a more northernly location, the market potential and
transit time for a site near Clewiston, Florida can be altered, by
construction of a mass transit system, to put that site on a parity with
the Andytown site.