Consulting
Economic and Fiscal Impacts: Dr. King has prepared numerous studies analyzing fiscal and economic impact. These include a number of studies analyzing the economic and fiscal impact of beaches for local jurisdictions. This type of analysis if vital for strategic decision making, drawing on data to better understand efficiencies and financial feasibility. Dr.King has analyzed the impact of hospitals in San Francisco, Sonoma Valley, Sacramento, and San Joaquin Dr. King has also estimated the economic and fiscal impact of multi-family housing projects, Given the structure of California’s local finance, multi-family housing is often difficult to justify from a fiscal perspective.
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Multifamily Housing: Dr. King has provided fiscal impact analyses for multifamily apartment projects in in Santa Clara (pdf) and Novato (pdf) , California. Given the nature of California’s local tax system, including Pro-p 13, apartments and other multifamily housing projects are often difficult to justify.
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Legal Consulting
Dr. King has provided expert testimony in over 30 legal cases in California as well as Washington State including:
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The potential impact of big box stores such as Wal-Mart Superstores on downtown businesses. These impacts are often referred to as “urban decay." Before and during the Great Recession Dr. King was involved in a number of cases involving urban decay in California. Most of these cases involved the development of Big Box stores in California’s central valley. Dr. King argued that the US was in danger of being over-retailed and that the creation of these new Supercenters, often outside of the city’s downtown or central business district (CBD) would lead to the closing of downtown businesses as well as other shopping centers and malls in the area. His analysis was validated in the Bakersfield case, which determined that urban decay resulting from retail development was a legitimate environmental impact that needs to be analyzed under CEQA. He also analyzed the potential for urban decay in the City of Hanford, Chico, Tracy, Atwater (Target store), and numerous other cities in California. He also provided testimony for an ordinance in the City of Stockton which limired the number of big box stores. Since the great recession, the fall of retail malls has been documented in the business literature including Forbes and Business Insider.
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Dr. King has provided testimony to the California Coastal Commission on the impact of seawalls on beach recreation.
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Dr. King's economic and fiscal impact reports have often been used in litigation.
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