What is the significance of a border? The lines that separate us are also a part of the framework that define who we are, how we build and where. A border can be as small in scale as a doorway, passing a person from one space into another, to the magnitude of an international boundary, a geopolitical line that determines culture, language, rights, and wealth. These boundaries with such a vast socioeconomic impact, have no predetermined physical manifestation. This begs the question, what could a border be? Or maybe more importantly, what should it be? This project explores these questions by investigating the border between the United States and Mexico. This 1,954 mile border, comprised of land and a river, is one of the more contested, violent, and emotional places of transition in the world. Already a heavily structured line, the border that separates the United States from Mexico has become a visible line, dividing the first world from the third world. This project argues that this border is not just a problem of international politics, but an architectural one. If we are to build our borders, they should be built as places of shared infrastructure, an economic investment in creating a zone of shared culture and learning that can still be simultaneously a place of security. Escuela sin fronteras, School without Borders, is a project that challenges the preconception of border, and introduces the possibility that a border is the first line in a larger framework that can define how we choose to live beside each other. / Master of Architecture / This project is an investigation of the border between the United States and Mexico. Asking the larger question of how a border is treated socially and physically, Esceula sin fronteras, School without borders is about redefining how we see borders. The condition of a border is one that reaches far beyond a singular line, so the architectural manifestation of a border should not simply be an extrusion of that line into space. Esceula sin Fronteras, School without Borders, explores the physical and cultural duality of a border condition, and seeks to provide an answer to how these places of immense opportunity can be treated.

This dissertation investigates how agricultural trade frictions, such as tariffs and non-tariff measures (NTMs), impact trade competitiveness and globalization in the agricultural sector. The dissertation consists of three chapters. The first chapter argues that agricultural trade cost evolution differs from other sectors due to frequent regulations, standards, and the unique physical characteristics of agricultural products. We measure agricultural trade costs in the 21st century using a three-step estimation procedure based on structural gravity models. Our findings reveal unequal integration of world economies into agricultural trade, with heterogeneous trade costs among countries. Only high-income countries have achieved lower agricultural trade costs between 2001 to 2018. The chapter concludes by demonstrating that while standard country characteristics are important, trade policy tools such as agricultural tariff rates, trade agreements, provisions in deep trade agreements, as well as logistics and infrastructure systems, significantly impact agricultural trade costs. In the second chapter, we assess the impact of non-tariff measures on U.S. agricultural exports as these measures have become increasingly important in global agricultural trade. Despite a vast empirical literature, the universe of NTMs is large and diverse, making it difficult to understand trade and export survival in the face of restrictive non-tariff regulatory measures. Moreover, the sheer number of NTMs collected and notified makes it difficult for researchers to disentangle and quantify measures that are burdensome for exporters from those that are largely inconsequential. In this chapter, we follow a different approach and create an NTM dataset consisting of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and technical barriers to trade (TBT) measures from the National Trade Estimate Report of the United States Trade Representative. Using this dataset, we quantify the impact of SPS and TBT measures on U.S. agricultural exports. We find that the existence of NTM measures reduces U.S. agricultural exports by 34%, an effect equivalent to an 8% ad-valorem tariff. Furthermore, we find that these NTMs do not increase the probability of U.S. agricultural exports stopping. In the third chapter, we employ a recently developed method to estimate the border effects of the USA and competitive agricultural exporters to Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We use recent advances in structural gravity modeling to estimate international border effects, incorporating intra-national trade. We present the differences in border effects relative to USA exports to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in ad valorem equivalent (AVE) tariffs. Our findings reveal substantial differences in USA agricultural border effects between relatively more integrated NAFTA partners and the SSA region, equivalent to a 43% AVE tariff, while for competitive suppliers, these AVEs range from 3% to 46%. The chapter concludes with a general equilibrium experiment stimulating a 20% reduction in border effects. Results indicate significant increases in SSA's imports, as well as welfare gains for both SSA and partner countries subject to border liberalization, with larger effects observed in SSA countries. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation investigates how agricultural trade frictions, such as tariffs and non-tariff measures (NTMs), impact trade competitiveness and globalization in the agricultural sector. The dissertation consists of three chapters. In the first chapter, we estimate a trade costs dataset and document how agricultural trade costs have evolved in the 21st century. Using this newly created trade costs dataset, we argue that there is an unequal integration of world economies into agricultural trade. We show that trade costs are heterogeneous among countries, with only high-income countries achieving lower agricultural trade costs between 2001 to 2018. In the last section of this chapter, we demonstrate that while standard country characteristics play a significant role, trade policy tools such as agricultural tariff rates, trade agreements, and provisions in deep trade agreements, as well as logistics and infrastructure systems, significantly impact agricultural trade costs. In the second chapter, we assess the impact of non-tariff measures on U.S. agricultural exports. Specifically, we created an NTM dataset consisting of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and technical barriers to trade (TBT) measures from the National Trade Estimate Report of the United States Trade Representative. Using this dataset, we quantified the impact of SPS and TBT measures on U.S. agricultural exports. We find that the existence of NTM measures reduces U.S. agricultural exports by 34%, an effect equivalent to an 8% ad-valorem tariff. Furthermore, we find that these NTMs do not increase the probability of U.S. agricultural exports stopping. In the third chapter, we employ a recently developed method to estimate the border effects of the USA and competitive agricultural exporters to Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We use recent advances in the structural gravity model to estimate international border effects, incorporating intra-national trade. We present the differences in border effects relative to USA exports to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in ad valorem equivalent (AVE) tariffs. Our findings reveal substantial differences in USA agricultural border effects between relatively more integrated NAFTA partners and the SSA region, equivalent to a 43% AVE tariff, while for competitive suppliers, these AVEs range from 3% to 46%. The chapter concludes with a general equilibrium experiment of a 20% reduction in border effects. Results indicate significant increases in SSA's imports, as well as welfare gains for both SSA and partner countries subject to border liberalization, with larger effects observed in SSA countries.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-16T00:15:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 Isabella Benini Lolli Ghetti1.pdf: 1849347 bytes, checksum: f54bfef8d3248fcef265a94dfbaa0db2 (MD5) Isabella Benini Lolli Ghetti2pdf.pdf: 1372286 bytes, checksum: c08714054f61e6a0401700cdbf675ce9 (MD5) Isabella Benini Lolli Ghetti3pdf.pdf: 1561756 bytes, checksum: e699e20af70dbf86abd7580fbfbfb883 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-08-20 / The discussion about international borders has increased since the 1990s both at the national and international levels, especially face to the local relations of these realities in a context of supranational interests and conflicts. Brazilian border, Ponta Porã, in Mato Grosso do Sul State, is separated from its twin-town, Pedro Juan Caballero, in Paraguay, by means of a strip Linha Internacional (International Strip). On the basis of the understanding of the peculiar aspects of border cities and of the recent urban policy in Brazil (Constituição Federal of 1988 and Estatuto da Cidade of 2001), the objective of this study is to discuss the Plano Diretor Participativo (Participative Direction Planning), of Ponta Porã - 2006, and its interface with the Paraguayan town. The historical formation of this reality, the analysis of the interactions in the frontier space and the identification of the region conflicts and potentialities made up the basis for this study to analyze not only the aspects of the Plano Diretor, which incorporate the international border, but also its challenges face to the articulation of urban policy with other instruments at the national level, so that conflicts may be equated and solutions for this reality may be devised. / A discussão a respeito das fronteiras internacionais tem-se ampliado a partir da década de 1990, tanto no âmbito nacional, quanto no internacional, principalmente face às relações locais destas realidades em um contexto de interações e conflitos supranacionais. A fronteira brasileira de Ponta Porã, no Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, separa-se por meio de uma faixa Linha Internacional da cidade-gêmea Pedro Juan Caballero, no Paraguai. A partir da compreensão da política urbana recente do Brasil (Constituição Federal de 1988 e Estatuto da Cidade de 2001) e do entendimento dos aspectos peculiares dos municípios de fronteira, este trabalho tem como objetivo discutir o Plano Diretor Participativo de Ponta Porã, de 2006, em sua interface com a cidade paraguaia. Partindo do entendimento histórico de formação dessa realidade, da análise das interações existentes no espaço fronteiriço e da identificação dos conflitos e potencialidades da região, destacam-se os aspectos do Plano Diretor que incorporam a fronteira internacional, bem como os desafios que se colocam para a articulação da política urbana com outros instrumentos de âmbito nacional, de forma a equacionar os conflitos e encaminhar soluções integradas para essa realidade.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T18:20:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sandra C Kleinschmitt.pdf: 1203973 bytes, checksum: 12bfcbb7627f6095489c777d05a166ad (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The goal of this thesis was to investigate the profile of homicides on the border between Brazil and Paraguay, in order to propose some hypotheses about the high rates of homicide in Foz do Iguacu, Parana. The technical procedure for the study was to research on police's pages of the newspapers "A Gazeta do Iguaçu" Foz do Iguaçu and "Diary Vanguardia" Ciudad del Leste. The period researched was between August 5, 2010 to 05 August 2011. The collected data were treated quantitatively. The results indicate that victims in Foz do Iguaçu and in the metropolitan area of Ciudad del Este (RMCDL) were male and predominantly young people and adolescents. The most widely used weapon for to consummation of the crime are fire guns. The crimes occurred on public roads, especially at night. Considering the high amount of bullets and the "modus operandi" of the killings in Foz do Iguacu, there are strong signs of summary execution. For RMCDL, the data reveal a different situation, since the motivations presented show evidences of intersubjective homicides and robbery. In this context, among the hypotheses in the research, such as social inequality, the slowness of the justice system and corruption of the state, it is clear that deaths from summary executions merit special attention. Not discarding the specific characteristics of the place in focus (other associated conditions) such as the situation along the border with Paraguay and high cash circulation. / O objetivo desta dissertação foi verificar o perfil dos homicídios na fronteira entre Brasil e Paraguai, com o intuito de levantar algumas hipóteses explicativas sobre as altas taxas de homicídio em Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná. O procedimento técnico para a realização do estudo foi a pesquisa documental, com notícias da página policial do jornal A Gazeta do Iguaçu de Foz do Iguaçu e do jornal Diário Vanguardia , de Cidade do Leste, entre 5 de agosto de 2010 a 5 de agosto de 2011. Os dados coletados receberam tratamento quantitativo. Os resultados alcançados apontam que as vítimas de Foz do Iguaçu e da Região Metropolitana de Cidade do Leste (RMCDL) eram do sexo masculino e, predominantemente, jovens e adolescentes. O meio mais utilizado para a consumação do ato foi a arma de fogo e os crimes ocorreram em vias públicas, principalmente durante a noite. Levando em consideração a quantidade elevada de tiros e o modus operandi dos homicídios ocorridos em Foz do Iguaçu, observam-se fortes indícios de execução sumária. Para a RMCDL, os dados revelam uma situação diferente, uma vez que a motivações apresentadas davam indícios de homicídios intersubjetivos e latrocínio. Nesse contexto, dentre as hipóteses levantadas na pesquisa, como a desigualdade social, a morosidade do sistema de justiça e a corrupção do Estado, evidencia-se que as mortes por execução sumária merecem especial atenção, sem descartar o cenário geral (demais condições inerentes) dessas tragédias, como a situação de fronteira com o Paraguai e o grande fluxo financeiro.