http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/7702 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/41581 Industry's master machine : factory planning and design in the age of mass production, 1900 to 1930 Biggs, Lindy B Thesis (Ph.D)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1987. MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. Includes bibliographies. Wed, 29 Oct 1986 22:58:59 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/34684 Economic advancement or social exclusion? : less-educated workers, cost-of-living and migration in high-tech regions Navarro Díaz, Criseida Several high-tech regions today show signs of displacement and exclusion of low-skill workers from the employment and wage benefits of a booming economy. Whether high-tech activities are responsible for these trends or if the ex ante characteristics of the region could predispose its residents to exclusion, in the absence of high-tech growth, are issues that regional scientists have left largely unexplored. Understanding what low-skill and high-skill workers undergo in the presence of this activity, and how that compares to the reality of those who reside in regions whose economy is not dependent on knowledge-intensive sectors, provides a backdrop for policy makers to evaluate industry-choice decisions in the interest of economic growth and social equity in regional development. To provide that backdrop, I empirically answer: How are the benefits of high-tech development distributed between less- and more-educated workers? How does this distribution compare to that of regions that do not follow an education-intensive development path? Are social equity and sustained growth possible under these conditions? Through regression analysis across 50 regions in the United States during the 1990s, I show that shifts in regional economic-base composition towards a greater concentration of high-tech activity cannot be held on its own responsible for exclusionary patterns in these regions. (cont.) As high-tech activity increases in a region it attracts workers of all skill levels, causing employment upsurges that are more substantial for college graduates than for high-school graduates. This shift in economic-base composition yields wage drops for low-skill workers but only when migration and cost-of-living are taken into consideration. Conversely, shifts in the composition of the region's workforce towards a more-educated labor pool resulting from migration flows lead to an employment-growth shrinkage for all skill groups, this adverse effect in supply being stronger on high-skill labor than on low-skill labor. As the proportion of college graduates increases, it deters high-skill workers from entering the region, slowing down growth in their supply, their wages, and overall growth in an economy based in this input. Once cost-of-living and migration are taken into consideration, an increase in this proportion yields wage drops for high-school graduates and a small wage gain in college graduate wages, causing greater wage inequality between more- and less-educated workers and more- and less-educated regions. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2005. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 191-194). Fri, 29 Oct 2004 22:58:59 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/34167 The feasibility and functioning of public mortgage insurance models : an international comparison Cao, Liou Public mortgage insurance (MI) is one type of supply-side government intervention in housing finance. It is an important component of the modem housing finance market, employed to expand homeownership and provide credit enhancement to mortgage loans. This research explores the feasibility and functioning of public MI, by conducting an international comparison of three representative public MI programs: the U.S. Federal Housing Administration; the Dutch Homeownership Guarantee Fund; and the Mexican Federal Mortgage Corporation. The main purpose is to build an integrated framework for policymakers when considering a public MI scheme, from institutional, financial, and operational perspectives. Research methodologies used include case studies, interviews, Monte Carlo simulation models, and regression analyses. The analytical framework of this research comprises three research questions: a) What are the primary economic problems in housing and housing finance markets that cause market inefficiency and hence call for government intervention in the form of public MI? b) What are the implied liabilities imposed on the backing government of sponsoring a public MI enterprise? and c) What are the potential economic problems that can result from the creation of a public MI system? (cont.) Answers to these questions indicate that public MI can be an effective policy tool to address particular housing market inefficiencies. However, a good fit between public MI and a nation's housing and housing finance markets entails many factors, including economic, financial, legal, political, institutional, and even cultural. Public MI should be designed and priced properly to maintain its financial soundness over the long term, without imposing "hidden" liabilities on the backing government. Certain institutional arrangements and operational strategies are necessary to ensure public MI's relative independence and to control market distortions stemming from its presence. This research contributes to the knowledge base for any country considering a public MI scheme to boost its housing market development. It is intended to offer much needed insight into the economic rationale, financial viability, institutional and legal infrastructure, and operational strategies of government-sponsored MI programs, and help policymakers make informed decisions based on a holistic socio-economic view of the public MI. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2005. Includes bibliographical references (p. 187-194). Fri, 29 Oct 2004 22:58:59 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/37604 Localizing public dispute resolution in Japan : lessons from experiments with deliberative policy-making Matsuura, Masahiro, 1974- Can consensus building processes, as practiced in the US, be used to resolve infrastructure disputes in Japan? Since the 1990s, proposals to construct highways, dams, ports and airports, railways, as well as to redevelop neighborhoods, have been opposed by a wide range of stakeholders. In response, there is a growing interest among Japanese practitioners in using consensus building processes, as practiced in the US, in order to resolve infrastructure disputes. Scholars and practitioners in the field of negotiation and dispute resolution, as well as policy transfer theorists, have raised concerns about cross-border transfers by referring to a variety of contextual differences between the "importing" and "exporting" countries. This dissertation investigates the relationship between the context and the introduction of consensus building processes from two perspectives: the adaptation of consensus building processes for the Japanese context and the organizational changes that seem to be required to allow processes from the US to work in Japan. (cont.) Without process adaptation and organizational change, consensus building processes are unlikely to be helpful in resolving infrastructure disputes in Japan, considering the breadth and depth of the contextual differences -- in organizational, normative, and regulative realms -- between Japan and the United States. The Japanese context for infrastructure planning was investigated through in-depth interviews with 40 practitioners in Japan. In order to explore possible strategies for adaptation and organizational change, I have closely observed an 18-month pilot test of a consensus building process for road intersection improvements in Tokushima, Japan as an instance of adaptation and organizational change. My close observation of this experiment identified a range of creative adaptation. Based on these observations, I argue that process adaptation and organizational change must occur simultaneously when consensus building processes are transferred to a foreign location. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2006. This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. Includes bibliographical references (p. 423-435) and index. Sat, 29 Oct 2005 22:58:59 GMT