Showing papers by "Urban Institute published in 1975"

An Econometric Model of Employment Growth in US Metropolitan Areas

Abstract: This paper reports on tests of hypotheses about the determinants of employment growth in US metropolitan areas. All urban employment covered by Social Security is included; the hypotheses are tested for each of forty groups of four-digit SIC industries. The units of observation are 284 areas, including all SMS As, as of 1970, plus some smaller places. The period is 1965–1970.The two main findings are: First, ease of attracting labor is not shown to have an important influence on local employment growth. Second, access to markets is the most important factor, followed by localization economies, and—for some industrial groups—low wage rates and access to inputs; urbanization economies (measured by city size) are a negative factor for some groups.The research is part of a larger study of the determinants of migration and employment growth.

Some promising innovations in taxicab operations

Abstract: Several shared-ride passenger transportation services which could be offered by taxicabs are currently prohibited in U.S. cities by state or local regulations. Although relaxation of these regulations has been advocated on numerous occasions, little regulatory change has occurred to date. Moreover, the taxicab industry has rarely been considered as a potential provider for publicly subsidized transportation services. This paper discusses several promising innovations in taxicab service provisions and subsidy mechanisms which have been implemented or proposed recently in U.S. cities. The paper argues for more well-designed experimentation with such innovations as a means of stimulating greater interest on the part of planners, policy-makers, regulators, and public transportation operators in broadening the role of taxicabs in urban transportation.

Política de Comércio Exterior no Brasil

Abstract: Este estudo analisa a protecao contra importacoes e os incentivose desincentivos a exportacao no Brasil. O enfoque se dirige primeiramenteao sistema que vigorava em julho de 1970. E ainda a n a lisadaa evolucao da e stru tu ra de protecao desde 1966, como tambemos niveis medios de tax a s de câmbio a protecao liquida e as taxasde exportacao implicitas desde 1954, com as principais conclusoes:i. O Brasil em 1970 era relativamente aberto ao comercio exterior(com relacao ao periodo 1954-67).ii. Os incentivos to rn a ram as exportacoes aproximadamente taolucrativas quanto as vendas domesticas, em media. No entanto,a media e o resultado de uma e s tru tu ra de incentivos amplamentevariavel entre produtos, a qual deve ser revista a fim deproporcionar maior incentivo a produtos em que o Brasil temuma vantagem comparativa.iii. A protecao desde dezembro de 1968 tem sido extremamente alta.Muitos setores que recebem protecao bastante a lta sao industriasmaduras, em que o Brasil nao tem qualquer desvantagem in e rente.Reducoes em ta l protecao seriam desejaveis, como tam bemo seriam pequenos aumentos pa ra outros bens que recebemmuito pouca protecao e em que o Brasil e b astante eficiente.

Formulating Urban Growth Policies: Dynamic Interactions Among People, Places, and Clubs

Abstract: The problems of urban growth are being vigorously discussed and debated throughout the United States by policy-makers as well as researchers. These proceedings are marked by an extraordinary degree of confusion about what the central issues of urban growth are and uncertainty about what should constitute urban growth policies.' These discussions are further clouded by the introduction of issues related to general growth of the size of population, the rate of increase of the Gross National Product, or the utilization of

The Impact of a Universal Income Maintenance Program on Income and Employment

Abstract: There are presently three public assistance cash programs-Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) for one-parent families, and, in about half the states, Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Unemployed Parent (AFDC-UP) for certain low income, twoparent families. These programs are categorical in nature in that a family cannot qualify on the basis of low income alone, but must meet other eligibility requirements. Among the poor, the least adequately covered by these three programs is the so-called working poor-two-parent families in which the head is able-bodied and of working age. About half of the nation's poor live in such families, yet less than 10% of those families receive any public assistance (Blechman, Gramlich, and Hartman, p. 180). Nor does Unemployment Insurance (UI) do much to fill the gap. Almost half of the male heads of these families work full-time the entire year. Many others receive no UI benefits because they are not covered, because they have been unemployed too long, or because they have had short but frequent periods of joblessness. 1 The only transfer program to which the working poor are universally entitled is the Food Stamp Program. The Food Stamp Program, now offered in all states, is available to all lo income families, but benefits are conditioned upon income. Because of the relative ewness of the program and because of limited outreach efforts, participation in the Food Stamp Program among eligible families is quite low--estimates range from 30% to 60%. Participation among eligible families headed by a nonaged, able-bodied male, however, is even lower-around 15%.