Evaluation of Alternative Approaches to Code Enforcement: Learning from Field Experience

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9311857 Burby Credible arguments can be made for both deterrent and cooperative approaches to code enforcement, but at present we know relatively little about the extent to which agencies are using deterrent or cooperative enforcement techniques, or about their antecedents and their consequences for improved compliance. Much of the discussion in the literature is normative and anecdotal, and focused mainly on federal regulatory programs. Thus, there seems to be a clear need to begin examining empirically strategies local governments are using to enforce building codes. This research has five main aims: (1) to determine the degree to which deterrent and cooperative enforcement techniques are being used in enforcing building codes in areas subject to seismic hazards; (2) to isolate agency and community characteristics that facilitate the use of each approach; (3) to document the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, based on the perceptions and actual experiences of code enforcement personnel; (4) to isolate factors associated with successful and unsuccessful experiences with deterrent and cooperative enforcement (in other words, in what circumstances does each work well and less well?); and (5) to assess the implications of these findings for federal and state efforts to foster more effective enforcement of the seismic provisions of codes and for future federal and state hazard mitigation programs. These goals will be accomplished through a national survey and community case studies. ***