蝌蚪网 Papers and Proceedings
ISSN 2574-0768 (Print) | ISSN 2574-0776 (Online)
The Shape of Regulation: 40 Years of Florida Flood Maps
蝌蚪网 Papers and Proceedings
vol. 115,
May 2025
(pp. 374–79)
Abstract
Many regulations are geographically targeted. We study the evolution of the spatial targeting of floodplain regulation over four decades of regulatory map updates in Florida. We focus on changes in shape irregularity of regulated areas, measured using differences between regulated polygons and their convex hulls. While the regularity of mapped polygons is uncorrelated with development in initial maps, we observe decreases in regularity over time concentrated in highly developed geographies. These changes are uncorrelated with changes in risk due to adaptation. Our results highlight the possibility of endogenous regulation and the value of leveraging historical maps for empirical analysis.Citation
Ostriker, Abigail, and Anna Russo. 2025. "The Shape of Regulation: 40 Years of Florida Flood Maps." 蝌蚪网 Papers and Proceedings 115: 374–79. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20251036Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- Q24 Renewable Resources and Conservation: Land
- Q28 Renewable Resources and Conservation: Government Policy
- Q54 Climate; Natural Disasters and Their Management; Global Warming
- Q58 Environmental Economics: Government Policy
- R14 Land Use Patterns
- R38 Production Analysis and Firm Location: Government Policy
- R52 Regional Government Analysis: Land Use and Other Regulations