Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, February 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 193-221). / This dissertation addresses the issue of industrialization in the WTO regime, focusing on the role of asymmetric free trade agreements. It proposes a framework where free trade agreements offer payoffs that countries have not been able to achieve through their WTO commitments. To evaluate these payoffs, I explore the mechanisms through which selected features of free trade agreements are translated into commercial outcomes. The central conclusion of this thesis is that free trade agreements provide developing countries with additional policy flexibility that is often not used to its fullest potential. Existing work on individual features of free trade agreements has focused primarily on those features that further constrain domestic policy options; the proposal that they may also expand policy options has been largely overlooked. It is a fact that in the WTO regime, the trade policy options available to developing countries have been restricted relative to the set that was available to their predecessors. Developing countries actively agreed to these restrictions with the expectation that growth and development would result from their participation in the WTO regime. / (cont.) This unfulfilled expectation, in combination with a multilateral negotiation structure that is characterized by collective action problems, creates an incentive for WTO members to form supplementary trade associations as they seek to move forward politically and economically. Yet given that free trade agreements are also characterized by an uncertain payoff, this dissertation seeks to provide evidence that they do in fact result in positive industrial outcomes. The model I use here also explains why free trade agreements are able to deliver results that similar unilateral initiatives do not. I use the case study of the U.S.-Chile FTA to test the theory on a developing country that has specifically targeted free trade agreements as a feature of its industrial strategy. Empirical data from both the negotiation process and commercial outcomes illustrates that in terms of the expected payoffs of export diversity, increased bilateral trade and industrialization in general, free trade agreements offer countries the ability to design and implement elements of an interventionalist industrial strategy that is consistent with their WTO commitments. / by Alisa DiCaprio. / Ph.D.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Richard G. Newman, Jr. / M.S.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2004. / This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-48). / This paper investigates the variation of capitalization rates across submarkets within the same metropolitan area by using a database with 73 transactions of office properties located in nine submarkets of Atlanta during the period from the third quarter of 2000 to the second quarter of 2003. The results show that capitalization rates are quite predictable at the submarket level. Movements of capitalization rates are shaped by local market information, national capital market information and characteristics of individual property. The study also examines the behavior of real estate investors in forming their expectations of future income streams. A cross-sectional model with time dummy variables is used in this paper. / by Yisheng Yu. / S.M.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2006. / Appendix, The TMO story, written in Japanese characters. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 115-118). / Downtowns have experienced decline since the 1990s in Japan and several strategies have been implemented to deal with it. This research focuses on one of such strategies-the Town Management Organization (TMO) model. Although the model was expected to achieve downtown revitalization through managing downtown areas, it has made negligible contributions. This research examines the reasons why the TMO model has not worked well through a survey and interviews with TMO staff members. This research demonstrates that TMOs tend to face obstacles at two different stages, which has led to the low level of contribution of the TMO model. At the planning stage, most TMO boards are dominated by commercial stakeholders and do not take in broad opinions. As a result, most TMOs do not gain benefits from active participation of various local stakeholders or receive their political and financial support. At the implementation stage, TMOs face different difficulties according to their funding structure. TMOs raising their funds mainly from such outside sources as subsidies tend to face funding shortages and lack of staff, and as a result, do not conduct effective revitalization activities. / (cont.) In contrast, TMOs that are not dependent on outside sources but make most earnings from the sales of goods or services are likely to face deficits and focus on profitable activities which might not be related to downtown revitalization. This research recommends that TMOs reform their boards, capitalize on external conditions, diversify their funding sources, and utilize other resources such as volunteers and financial institutions. In addition, this research proposes that governments create effective public policies to help TMOs carry out these recommendations. / by Masatomo Miyazawa. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1984. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography: leaves 89-91. / by Karen S. Margolis. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-92). / Electric vehicle (EV) development in the Kathmandu Valley began in 1993 as a response to the urgency of a severe air pollution situation. The dynamics of government intervention, non-governmental organization advocacy, international donor support, and private sector involvement all shaped EV implementation in various ways. Its success led other South and East Asian cities to view it as a model for implementing EVs to alleviate air pollution. Yet despite a promising beginning and intensive proliferation, the EV industry was failing only six years after its inception. What went wrong with a development that seemed to have all the makings of success? This thesis outlines the EV development trajectory and examines the principal factors that impeded progress. Interviews with over 30 individuals in the electric vehicle industry, government agencies, NGOs, and international donor organizations provided me with first-hand accounts of the puzzles of EV development. Also, my research in published and unpublished documents, local press coverage, and an EV news server added rich material for analysis. The most entrenched barriers to the implementation of the EV industry have been the disparate interests and goals of stakeholders, in particular the resistance and hostility of fossil-fuel interests, and deficiencies in human resources and support networks. Analysis of these impediments yields lessons on how EV advocates can overcome these obstacles. Lessons learned in this thesis are that EV advocates must build a coalition of supportive actors, seek governmental commitment for EV-supportive polices, work to align the disparate economic goals of private actors, and develop a capacity for training and education. / by Sushila Maharjan. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P. and S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 65-66). / This thesis seeks to answer how urban design in an established town can be adapted to accommodate an aging population. It uses the town of Brookline, Massachusetts, as an example of a community making active efforts to improve its design and services to meet the needs of its elderly citizens. Among the many challenges seniors face in Brookline are barriers to mobility, need for activity and company, threats to physical safety, and limited range of travel. Through careful planning and design, local governments can make physical improvements to the public environment to allow seniors easy access to all parts of the town or city, and these improvements benefit people of all ages as well. However, institutions like the Senior Center in Brookline are essential for providing a high quality of life, by hosting recreational and educational activities, organizing services and outreach to isolated seniors, lobbying for appropriate representation in local policymaking, and increasing awareness of elderly issues. A combination of infrastructure improvements, services, and long-range planning can overcome the obstacles of cost, ignorance, and poor design to make the public environment accessible to all ages and abilities. / by David Lee. / M.C.P.and S.B.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 52-55). / In July of 2002, the California State Legislature passed the "California Clean Cars Bill," the first law in the United States to regulate carbon dioxide as a vehicular pollutant. California's vehicular standards have implications across the country; at least eight other states have committed to adopt them. The passage of the legislation was as controversial as it was groundbreaking. Over the course of the year and a half that the bill was in the state legislature, environmentalists and the auto industry fought for the public's support of their positions. Although the auto industry had the benefit of a multi-million dollar advertising budget, environmentalists adopted tactics that proved more effective in the battle for Californians' support. This thesis describes the environmentalists' coalition-building and problem-definition tactics and how they enabled the environmentalists to gain public support. / by Carli Paine. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1985. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography: leaves 123-125. / by Anne Baron Wilson. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-99). / This thesis explores the growth of subnational debt ("SND") and the different regulatory responses to this debt. It focuses on the recent emergence of credit rating agencies (e.g. Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch) as an alternative regulatory mechanism, which has the potential to stabilize these markets, improve risk pricing, and alter traditional conceptions of local governance. The first chapter traces SND's long legacy of debt defaults, federal bailouts, and improperly priced risk; as well as the profound benefits that SND can provide to local governments, particularly as a means of resisting the siren song of privatization. Unfortunately, it finds that conventional strategies for regulating SND - including federal oversight, financial rules and market discipline - have not properly balanced these trade offs and have left lingering moral hazards, overly restricted debt markets, and a legacy of mispricing. The second chapter examines the emergence of debt rating agencies in Mexico as a possible alternative. It traces their growth, particularly the role of domestic and international agreements, their methodology, and their historic accuracy. It finds that they should improve debt pricing and obviate moral hazards when compared to existing regulatory interventions. / (cont.) However, these significant benefits come with profound implications on local governance and decentralization. The third chapter investigates rating agencies infringement on traditional local autonomy as well as the more subtle ways in which these bodies can actually improve local deliberation by enhancing transparency and formality. The thesis argues further that any restrictions are outweighed by the benefits from stabilizing SND markets and replacing more onerous regimes. The thesis also suggests that the agencies' view of governance actually fits in with broader international approaches and is part of a broader movement towards international local government law. The paper concludes by considering potential regulation to improve agencies' performance further. / by Ommeed S. Sathe. / M.C.P.