The legal environment for local government in Florida is beginning to change when it comes to sea-level rise. Innovations in institutional structure and governance strategies are underway in the State as well. This paper reviews three recent developments, which relate primarily to comprehensive planning in the State, and explores their implications for Florida’s local governments, among others. It begins with the State’s decision, in 2011 legislation, to give local governments a new, optional tool – referred to as “Adaptation Action Areas” – to address sea-level rise and related issues in local comprehensive plans. The paper then turns to a second piece of Florida legislation, this one enacted in 2015, which also identifies sea-level rise as a concern but this time mandates that local governments begin to address it and other causes of flood-related risks through their comprehensive planning process. Finally, the paper discusses a third initiative, launched in 2009 by four Southeast Florida counties – Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe – to foster local government and regional coordination on sea-level rise and other climate change issues

As construction activity in the southern United States continues to flourish, concern over workers’ health and safety grows. Economic hardships, few or no opportunities for career advancement, unstable work, injuries, and even death on the job are commonplace for construction workers in the South. This report examines the working conditions of 1,435 construction workers in six major cities in the southern U.S, in order to document the most critical issues facing construction workers in major construction markets and provide information to guide possible solutions.

This report works to guide city-level initiatives for Community Wealth Building (CWB). Through the outlining of this process, the important steps of identifying an area of the city that would benefit from the initiative, working with outside consultants, identifying and engaging stakeholders, attracting sponsors, organizing a conference, and conducting follow through. Working to connect community-owned or worker-owned businesses to local “anchor” institutions such as hospitals or universities that are unlikely to relocate helps develop a more equitable business environment within a community and promotes inclusive economic development. The policy of pursuing a Community Wealth Building initiative work to address economic inequality and uneven growth across a city or community.

This report examines the problem of wage theft in Florida. It defines wage theft, identifies industries and occupations in Florida with wage violations, and estimates back wages owed by employers. The report also provides six recommendations to reduce or eliminate wage and hour violations in Florida.

Seaside, the resort town in the Florida Panhandle, is best known for being a compact, walkable and diverse community, but it has also become known as one of the first environmentally designed new towns. It is now time for it to be recognized as a model for Lean Urbanism, particularly greenfield development. These attributes are fundamental to environmentalism in that they minimize the consumption of land, eliminate off-site trips, and encourage walking and bicycling, creating an urban pattern that is inherently sustainable. But in addition to the inherent benefits of the community’s urban design, there are also several explicitly “green” design elements in this 33-year-old town.

This ordinance establishes a home rule charter for the county. This charter decentralizes certain state powers to the county board of commissioners and grants the board of commissioners certain rights to self-governance and independence. The ordinance includes language that defines the jurisdictional boundaries of this home rule district and claims specific powers for the exercise of county and municipal government bodies in this district.

This ordinance details the procedure for wage theft complaints in St. Petersburg, FL, including the process of filing wage theft complaints, employer responses, conciliation, and hearings before a hearing officer. Moreover, this ordinance also outlines enforcement practices and retaliation protections.

This ordinance details the procedure for wage theft complaints in Miami-Dade County, including the process of filing wage theft complaints, employer responses, subpoenas, conciliation, and hearings before a hearing officer. Moreover, this ordinance also outlines enforcement practices and retaliation protections.

This ordinance provides real estate developers with incentives, such as density bonuses and flexibility in design, for providing units affordable to families making 70-100% of area median income.

This ordinance reforms campaign finance regulations in elections for county positions. This ordinance requires candidates for county offices to disclose the names and size of donations during any election cycle for any donation over a specified level to the county clerk before a specified date preceding that election.