Urban renewal and the use of eminent domain in Tallahassee, FL

Keywords: human geography, eminent domain, historically Black neighborhoods, stormwater, live oaks, history, design, urban planning, local government, green infrastructure, clearcutting
Session Type: Virtual Guided Poster Abstract
Day: Sunday
Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 02:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 03:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 62

Abstract

Government’s use of eminent domain, or the right to seize private property for public use, is highly controversial. Urban planning research shows infrastructure and economic redevelopment projects disproportionately affect low-income and historically Black communities. Financial and social impacts are also shown to be associated when offering “market value” instead of “replacement value,” an important distinction when land value is expected to rise. This study focuses on the use of eminent domain by local government in the most economically-segregated city in America: Tallahassee, FL, for a multi-modal green infrastructure project by analyzing public records. Compensation agreements, court documents, and a decade of GIS parcel data are used to compare the uniformity of acquisitions and displacements throughout the project corridor. Urban planning decisions, stormwater engineering, and removal of patriarch live oaks are also considered. Preliminary results indicate that state and federal funds were used in addition to local funding. When federal funding is used, agencies are required to compensate displaced individuals by following the Universal Relocation Act (URA) of 1970, designed "to provide uniform, fair and equitable treatment." In terms of policy recommendations, this study suggests that federal guidelines should be followed in all government projects, including at the local and state level. Future research will examine if the federal standard must be retroactively applied in this case.