Thesis advisor: Julie H. Mortimer / This dissertation consists of two independent chapters on pricing and consumer demand in the retail sector. In chapter 1 develop an empirical model of Consumer Supermarket Choice that enables identification of heterogeneous consumer travel costs and is suitable for a wide range of policy experiments and the study of local competition. Chapter 2 is a theoretical investigation on pricing patterns in multi-product retail markets, when boundedly rational consumers' choice of a store is based on the price and valuation of a subset of goods. Estimation of demand systems in spatially differentiated retail markets is fundamental for understanding local competition and the impact of policy changes. It is also challenging, because shopping decisions consist of multiple dimensions: when to shop, where to shop and what to buy. In chapter 1 I develop an empirically tractable model of store choice in the supermarket industry and provide a way to identify consumers' heterogeneous travel costs without imposing restrictions on bundle choice. Using micro level data on a small market in New England, I estimate demand for stores using both a moment inequality approach and standard discrete choice techniques. I specify utility as a function of both store and bundle characteristics, and control for the endogeneity of expenditure on the bundle. I use the estimates of the discrete choice model to evaluate the welfare impact of 1) the closing of each individual store in the market and 2) the relocation of one of the stores. I find that travel costs are heterogeneous and marginally decreasing; that people like to shop at stores that are close, but also like to shop at multiple stores. Furthermore, people value stores differently (across consumers and shopping occasion) and trade off additional travel time for better store characteristics; utility differentials in preference for stores correspond to a distance ranging between zero and up to 3.3 miles. Variation in demand and substitution patterns across stores are explained by differences in store characteristics and by the shopping habits and geographic distribution of heterogenous consumers. Changes in market structure, like store entry and exit can have significant impact on consumer welfare. For example, removal on one of the stores results in a loss in CS that ranges between 8% and 44%. The assumption of rationality in retail shopping decisions appears very problematic when stores sell thousands of products and frequently vary their assortments and prices. Consumers are typically uncertain about prices at different stores and for a consumer to consider the entire distribution of bundles and prices might be a far too complex decision process. Furthermore, models with rational consumers are incapable of fully explaining important features of retail markets such as price dispersion, advertising and leader pric- ing. In chapter 2 I attempt to characterize optimal pricing by multi-product retailers when imperfectly informed consumers buy more than one product. The distinctive feature of the model is that there are two relevant moments to all purchase decisions. First, the choice of a store to visit, and second, the choice of the items to purchase. While consumers might rationally choose a store to best meet their specific needs and desires, the choice of the items to purchase is made only once in a store. Whether guided by impulse, contingent and unforeseen needs or in-store learning about a product, consumers often end up buying additional products which can generate higher profits for the stores. To examine the implications on retail pricing of this kind of behavior, I depart from a standard rational setup and introduce the concept of attractor goods. Using an an approach similar to that found in Osborne and Rubinstein (1998) and Spiegler (2006) I consider boundedly rational con- sumers whose choice between stores is based solely and entirely on the price and valuation of a subset of goods, the attractors. I show that retailer's pricing decisions have to take into account not only the direct effect of prices on a product's demand but also the effect on the demand for the other products sold in the store. The optimal pricing schedule will be a decreasing function of the goods' attractiveness, and pricing below marginal cost might be optimal for some goods. The model provides a rationale for the strategy of loss leader pricing and offers an intuitive explanation to countercyclical markups. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics.

This dissertation investigates the impact of metropolitan growth patterns and policies on both intra-regional spatial differentiation and the decline of inner-ring suburbs by identifying a multi-ring metropolitan structure in four metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Portland, using longitudinal Census data from 1970 to 2000. The findings of this research confirmed that intra-regional spatial differentiation increased over time and showed that the inner-ring suburbs in the four metropolitan areas were increasingly vulnerable to socioeconomic decline regardless of their growth patterns and policies. In contrast, the downtowns and some parts of the inner city showed gradual recovery from the deterioration patterns of the last several decades. The outer-ring suburbs continued to thrive, drawing most of the new population and housing development. This dissertation also explored the association between metropolitan growth patterns and policies and the extent of spatial differentiation and socioeconomic disparity in the subareas. Analyses found that strong decentralization trends are associated with increases in intra-regional spatial differentiation and socioeconomic disparity, while urban containment policies are associated with their reduction. However, despite its strong urban containment policies, the Portland region exhibited a clear pattern of inner-ring suburban decline, which suggests that the inner-ring suburbs require local initiatives directed toward revitalization. In conclusion, this research has shown that excessive development at the urban fringe is associated with the abandonment of the blighted inner city and more importantly, in the decline of the inner-ring suburbs. The inner-ring suburbs, with their existing valuable assets, should be fertile grounds for smart growth strategies. Moreover, the central city and outer-ring suburbs have a vital mission to save and invigorate the inner-ring suburbs, as they represent the primary link and conduit to all the surrounding areas of a metropolitan region. Only by recognizing the interdependence of all the areas and by applying sound, holistic policies can the decision-making entities of the government ensure the survival and future stability of the metropolitan areas.

As an architectural language, what elements and systems constitute a work of architecture? They are the structural system, enclosure system, circulation system, functional requirements, context, light, views, proportion, scale, forms, cultural characteristics, color and many others. In this thesis, I focus on the structural system, the spatial organization and quality of light with a view to how they contribute to the identity of spaces. the vehicle of my study is an Environmental Learning Center, for Franklin County, Virginia. The building design enploys two different structural systems in two parts of the building, arranging dissimilar spatial organizations in building sections. Various enclosure materials are used to exhibit distinct light qualities. Design is not only to satisfy functional needs, but to architecturally determine spatial differentiation,which accordingly generates the identity of spaces. / Master of Architecture

The existing theoretical and empirical literature to investigate the existence of local market power is typically based on spatial competition models in the tradition of Hotelling's (1929) linear city and Salop's (1979) circular city. In models of this kind, strong assumptions are made that lead to a spatial homogeneity (symmetry) of firms in a highly stylized one-dimensional market space. However, some of these assumptions are hardly satisfied in many (retail) markets. The present thesis builds on a recent model by Chen and Riordan (2007), in which the market is characterized by a star-shaped graph with a central intersection. In an extension of Chen and Riordan, I distinguish between firms close to the center and firms in the periphery of a spatial market. This spatial heterogeneity leads to an asymmetric competition between firms. A central firm directly competes with a larger number of firms than remote firms do. The implications of the theoretical model are tested in two empirical applications to the retail gasoline market of Vienna and Austria. Using station level data on diesel prices, I estimate price reaction functions for gasoline stations in two different approaches. In the first approach the Austrian retail gasoline market is divided into numerous highly localized and delimited markets. The second approach analyzes the metropolitan area of Vienna and treats the whole market as one big network of gasoline stations, which are connected through the road network. In both approaches I apply econometric spatial autoregressive (SAR) models. The estimated parameters of the slopes of the reaction functions are used to evaluate the impact of individual gasoline stations on equilibrium market prices depending on their location within the market (network). All results obtained provide evidence for (more) central suppliers serving as a stronger reference in pricing than (rather) remote suppliers. Thus, the assumption of a symmetry in spatial competition which is usually implied by spatial competition models in theoretical and applied research, is rejected. (author's abstract)

We highlight the importance of "centrality" for pricing. Firms characterized by a more central position in a spatial network are more powerful in terms of having a stronger impact on their competitors' prices and on equilibrium prices. These propositions are derived from a simple theoretical model and investigated empirically for the retail gasoline market of Vienna, Austria. We compute a measure of network centrality based on the locations of gasoline stations in the road network. Results from a spatial autoregressive model show that prices of gasoline stations are more strongly correlated with prices of central competitors.

La gestion des déchets ménagers concentre des enjeux opérationnels, stratégiques et environnementaux. On observe depuis quelques années une montée en puissance des dispositifs de quantification des impacts environnementaux, qui ajoutent l’espace du calcul environnemental aux espaces déjà constitués et instrumentés des calculs techniques et économiques. Différents outils d’évaluation environnementale peuvent être utilisés tels que l’Empreinte Écologique, le Bilan Carbone ou encore l’Analyse du Cycle de Vie (ACV). Au regard de sa capacité à évaluer des enjeux globaux et multiples, l’ACV est l’outil le plus souvent utilisé. L’ACV évalue les impacts environnementaux potentiels d’un système (produit ou service) en identifiant et en quantifiant les entrants et les sortants de ce système et en les traduisant en impacts environnementaux potentiels. Elle évalue de manière pertinente les impacts globaux, tels que le changement climatique ou la déplétion de la couche d’ozone, mais est peu adaptée à une évaluation des impacts locaux tels que l’acidification, l’eutrophisation ou encore la toxicité du fait de la nécessaire finesse de prise en compte des conditions de l’émission engendrant potentiellement ces impacts. Ce travail de thèse vise à développer une méthodologie d’évaluation « spatialisée » des impacts environnementaux locaux que sont la toxicité (ou atteinte à la santé humaine) et les odeurs et leur intégration à la méthodologie d’ACV. L’intérêt et les limites de ce développement méthodologique sont mis en évidence dans une application de l’évaluation des performances environnementales de systèmes de gestion des déchets municipaux, secteur d’activité soumis à une évaluation environnementale systématique lors de la planification départementale et théâtre de nombreuses controverses dont l’évaluation des impacts locaux est souvent le cœur. La méthodologie d’évaluation développée dans le cadre de cette thèse repose sur l’approche Site Dependent (modélisation de l’impact en considérant les caractéristiques spatio-temporelles de la source d’émission et du milieu impacté) et permet de prendre en compte le devenir de la substance et les conditions d’exposition pour déterminer, dans un premier temps, l’occurrence de l’impact et, dans un deuxième temps, son intensité. Ce développement méthodologique, pour intégrer la différenciation spatiale lors de l’évaluation des impacts, est appliqué à deux impacts locaux reflétant des problématiques locales fortes pour beaucoup de secteurs industriels mais notamment pour le secteur du traitement des déchets : la toxicité et les odeurs. Concernant l’évaluation de la toxicité, il s’agit de caractériser l’impact de manière plus robuste que cela est classiquement fait en ACV en intégrant les caractéristiques spatiales. Pour l’impact odeurs, il s’agit de construire une première voie vers la quantification de cet impact, non évalué par les outils génériques d’évaluation environnementale. / Municipal solid waste management focuses operational, strategic and environmental issues. We observed recently a development of measures to assess environmental impacts, which add the environmental impact to technical and economical calculations. Different environmental assessment tools can be used such as the Ecological Footprint, Carbon Footprint or Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Due to its ability to assess global and multiple issues, LCA is most often used. LCA assesses potential environmental impacts of a system or a product identifying and quantifying inputs and outputs of the system and converting them into potential environmental impacts. LCA is a relevant method to assess global impacts such as climate change or ozone layer depletion. But this method is not suitable to assess local impacts such as acidification, eutrophication or human toxicity due to the required precision to take into account the conditions of emission that potentially cause the impacts. This PhD work aims to develop a methodology of spatial assessment for two local environmental impacts (human toxicity and odours) and their integration to LCA. Advantages and limitations of this development are highlighted in the assessment of environmental performances of municipal solid waste systems. This sector is subjected to systematic environmental assessment during administrative planning and is prone the numerous controversies in which assessment of local impacts is often the heart of the matter. The methodology developed is based on the Site Dependent approach (modeling of impact with consideration of spatial and temporal characteristics of the emission source and the impacted environmental) and allows to take into account the fate of the substance and the exposure conditions to determine firstly the occurrence of the impact and secondly its intensity. This methodology aiming to integrate spatial differentiation in assessment of impacts, is applied to two local impacts reflecting strong local issues for many sectors, but particularly in the sector of waste treatment: human toxicity and odours. For the human toxicity assessment, the aim is to characterize impacts in more solid way than in conventional LCA that integrates spatial characteristics. For impact odour, the aim is to develop a first approach to quantify this impact, but not assessed by generic tools used for environmental assessment.

In this thesis, I investigate economic and policy implications of individual choice decisions, including consumers’ choices among differentiated products and households’ decisions on intra-household resource allocations. In the first chapter, I develop a consumer demand model for US retail banking services in which consumers have preference over the geographical convenience of their banks’ networks. The purpose of the study is to identify consumers’ taste for branch network convenience in the US banking industry and to assess the effect of this demand motive on bank revenues, consumer surplus, and market structure. I show that consumers value the geographical convenience of their bank branch network to a large extent. Specifically, a branch that is one mile closer is equivalent to a branch with a 0.4 percent higher annual interest rate. Furthermore, consumers value proximity of the branch network to both their residence and workplace. The counterfactual experiment shows that banks with a larger number of branches enjoy greater network benefits in terms of revenue. Meanwhile, consumers benefit from the reduction in their expected travel distance by choosing depository institutions with large-scale networks. The second chapter examines how parents adjust bride-prices and land divisions to compensate their sons for differences in their schooling expenditures in rural China. The model is tested using data from a unique household interview survey carried out in Hebei Province. The main estimate implies that when a son receives one yuan less in schooling investment than his brother, he will obtain 0.7 yuan more in observable marital and post-marital transfers as partial compensation. This marginal compensation estimate is quantitatively larger than any comparable estimate using North American data, suggesting that the unitary model is a useful model of resource allocation for sons in traditional agricultural families. As a supplement to Chapter 2, Chapter 3 investigates matchmakers’ negotiation role in rural Chinese marriages and its impact on marital transfer from the parents to the children at the time of marriage. Using a unique household-level dataset collected in Hebei province, I find that a negotiator’s involvement can raise the total marital transfer by 20 percent, which supports my public goods story.

In this thesis, I investigate economic and policy implications of individual choice decisions, including consumers’ choices among differentiated products and households’ decisions on intra-household resource allocations. In the first chapter, I develop a consumer demand model for US retail banking services in which consumers have preference over the geographical convenience of their banks’ networks. The purpose of the study is to identify consumers’ taste for branch network convenience in the US banking industry and to assess the effect of this demand motive on bank revenues, consumer surplus, and market structure. I show that consumers value the geographical convenience of their bank branch network to a large extent. Specifically, a branch that is one mile closer is equivalent to a branch with a 0.4 percent higher annual interest rate. Furthermore, consumers value proximity of the branch network to both their residence and workplace. The counterfactual experiment shows that banks with a larger number of branches enjoy greater network benefits in terms of revenue. Meanwhile, consumers benefit from the reduction in their expected travel distance by choosing depository institutions with large-scale networks. The second chapter examines how parents adjust bride-prices and land divisions to compensate their sons for differences in their schooling expenditures in rural China. The model is tested using data from a unique household interview survey carried out in Hebei Province. The main estimate implies that when a son receives one yuan less in schooling investment than his brother, he will obtain 0.7 yuan more in observable marital and post-marital transfers as partial compensation. This marginal compensation estimate is quantitatively larger than any comparable estimate using North American data, suggesting that the unitary model is a useful model of resource allocation for sons in traditional agricultural families. As a supplement to Chapter 2, Chapter 3 investigates matchmakers’ negotiation role in rural Chinese marriages and its impact on marital transfer from the parents to the children at the time of marriage. Using a unique household-level dataset collected in Hebei province, I find that a negotiator’s involvement can raise the total marital transfer by 20 percent, which supports my public goods story.

A cidade de São Paulo, desde o final do século XX, vem sendo marcada pela inauguração de novas formas urbanas, adequadas às exigências da ordem socioeconômica que se instaura a partir de então, como o exemplar surgimento de novas áreas de centralidade aliadas ao avanço do setor terciário. Porém, outras localidades sofreram transformações sócio-espaciais ao longo dos últimos 25 anos, inclusive quanto à valorização imobiliária, o que tem reforçado a apropriação heterogênea e desigual do território e que, portanto, não se restringe à produção de centralidades terciárias, mas vai além em sua diversidade. Um dos casos que mais se destacam na cidade, pela marcante transformação espacial que sofreu, é o alvo desta pesquisa: o Tatuapé. Localizado na zona leste de São Paulo, este bairro, em apenas 20 anos, emergiu como foco de alto padrão e como expressivo pólo comercial, exercendo hoje grande influência na região. Tendo isso em vista, este trabalho se propõe a investigar o movimento de ocupação da área e as suas principais características a fim de verificar como este território de uma industrialização recente se transformou em uma das regiões mais valorizadas da cidade. Com isto, a pesquisa tem por objetivo final conhecer como este processo de valorização do local, apoiado principalmente na produção residencial vertical de luxo por encomenda, levou o território à exclusividade no espaço urbano tanto por sua diferenciação do ponto de vista social, indicando enobrecimento da população local, como do ponto de vista espacial, enunciando um processo único de concentração das camadas de alta renda e até mesmo de segregação urbana na zona leste. Assim, o trabalho inicia pronunciando as transformações que marcaram o final do século em São Paulo e as correspondentes para a zona leste no mesmo período, proporcionando, em seguida, a compreensão histórica da pesquisa para o bairro. Após isto, faz uma análise do mercado imobiliário de edifícios residenciais nos últimos anos, caracterizando esta verticalização que diferencia. Por fim, expõe alguns dos problemas que emergiram após a mudança do perfil da região. Com este trabalho, espera-se que se torne uma referência para a compreensão de fenômenos urbanos recentes e que contribua para os debates que destacam a análise social do espaço, especialmente os estudos da segregação sócioespacial, reanimados com a reestruturação urbana em São Paulo. / The city of Sao Paulo, since the end of the century XX, has appointed to the requirements of the socioeconomic order that establish hereafter, like the emergence of new central areas together of the tertiary sector. But, other localities have suffered social-spatial transformations since the last twenty-five years inclusive about the real estate valorization that has strengthened of the heterogeneous and unequal appropriation of the territory that, hence, it isnt restrict of the centrality tertiary production, but will be beside in your diversity. One of the most important cases for the remarked spatial transformation that suffered is the target of this research: the Tatuapés neighborhood. Located in the east area of Sao Paulo, this neighborhood, in twenty years, emerges like a focus of high standard of living and expressive commercial pole. Nowadays, it exerts big influence in the region. Then, this dissertation propose to investigate the occupation movement of the Tatuapés neighborhood and its principal characteristic to check how this territory, with recently industrialization, graded in one the most appreciated region of the city. The final aim is to know how this process of local valorization supported by the vertical residential production and luxurious and tailor-made buildings took this territory to an exclusive urban space, not only for its differentiation taking into consideration the social point of view, showing the enrichment of the local population, but also taking into consideration the spatial point of view, showing a unique process of concentration of high level social classes and even the urban segregation in the east area of city. Then, the beginning of this dissertation is about the most important transformations of the end of the century in Sao Paulo and in east area, providing, afterwards, the historical comprehension of the research about the Tatuapés neighborhood. Next, it analyses the real estate market of residential buildings in the latest years, characterizing this emblematic verticalization. Finally, it shows some problems that developed after the change of the region profile. This dissertation wants to be a reference for the comprehension of the recent urban phenomenon like this one and wants to contribute to debates that take into account the social analyses of the space, specially the studies about social-spatial segregation, born again with the urban restructure of Sao Paulo.

Submitted by MICHELE DE SOUSA SOUSA (sousa_michele@yahoo.com.br) on 2017-12-19T17:39:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MICHELE DE SOUSA - A Produção da Diferenciação Socioespacial em Mossoró-RN.pdf: 11483596 bytes, checksum: 330e2a4b66c450337045589ad8baddaa (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ALESSANDRA KUBA OSHIRO null (alessandra@fct.unesp.br) on 2017-12-19T19:40:04Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 sousa_m_dr_prud.pdf: 11483596 bytes, checksum: 330e2a4b66c450337045589ad8baddaa (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-12-19T19:40:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 sousa_m_dr_prud.pdf: 11483596 bytes, checksum: 330e2a4b66c450337045589ad8baddaa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-01-29 / Esta tese trata do tema da diferenciação socioespacial na cidade de Mossoró-RN, segunda maior cidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, que é analisada a partir da investigação e do estudo da transformação da área urbana, engendrada pelos novos equipamentos voltados para a prática e consumo do lazer, da cultura, do turismo e do entretenimento, bem como da valorização imobiliária seletiva. Busca-se, com base nesses elementos, analisar e compreender a reprodução dessa diferenciação socioespacial. Procura-se compreender a produção desigual do espaço urbano de Mossoró e a própria construção dessa desigualdade, para, então, investigar quais áreas na cidade estão sendo valorizadas (sob vários aspectos) e quais são os agentes que estão “orquestrando” esse processo. É também nossa preocupação avaliar como a diferenciação socioespacial ocorre e se é reproduzida também por meio das práticas espaciais. Percebe-se que a diferenciação socioespacial em Mossoró se revela em seu espaço urbano por processos que foram se mantendo ao longo do tempo e por fatores de âmbito local, nacional ou até global, que se combinaram ao preexistente. Conclui-se, assim, que o processo de produção do espaço urbano de Mossoró dá-se marcado pela diferenciação socioespacial, e que esse processo caracteriza-se por uma combinação de mudanças e permanências. / This thesis deals with the issue of socio-spatial differentiation in the city of Mossoro-RN, the second largest city of Rio Grande do Norte State. It was studied and analyzed the transformation of the urban area engendered by the new equipment designed to leisure practice and consumption, culture, tourism and entertainment, as well as, the selective real estate valuation. The analysis and understandings of reproduction of socio-spatial differentiation was based in these aspects. It was tried to understand the uneven production of urban space of Mossoro and the actual construction of this inequality, to then investigate which areas in the city would be appreciating (in many ways) and who are the agents that were "orchestrating" the process. It was also our concern assess how socio-spatial differentiation occurs and is also reproduced by means of socio-spatial practices. It is noticed that the socio-spatial differentiation in Mossoro is revealed in its urban space, in processes that have remained over time, and local, national or global level factors to combine the existing. Therefore, in conclusion, the process of urban space production in Mossoro was marked by socio-spatial differentiation, and this process was characterized by a combination of changes and stays.