What Determinants Influence the Implementation of Growth Management Policy in Colorado?

Abstract

The main goal of this research is to examine under what conditions Colorado counties implement growth management policy. Many local jurisdictions in states have intended to reduce the adverse effects of growth—damage to wetlands, farmlands, and forests—and to conserve urban environments. By the early 2000s, several states had enacted growth management legislation to create a balance between environmental conservation and economic development. Unlike those states, Colorado does not have a state-wide growth management act. Colorado has focused on a strong tradition of local government control with respect to growth management policy. Growth management policy tools such as development impact fees and zoning are locally designated. That is, the growth management policy of counties and municipalities in Colorado is free from control by the state. Because of this characteristic, Colorado is a good case for research about growth management policy of local governments. The research empirically explicates the implementation of growth management policy at the county level. The study employs a logistic regression model and demonstrates that wealthy counties prefer pro-environmentalism to anti-environmentalism, while poor counties and homeowners in Colorado do not support the implementation of growth management policy.