THE MISSING CONNECTION: Designing a new Transit Hub Typology centered around Community

To effectively develop cities and improve the quality of life for their citizens, urban transportation infrastructure must evolve beyond its current function as a mere conduit for movement. Transportation hubs, such as MARTA stations, are essential in connecting people to their jobs, homes, and recreational spaces, serving as critical nodes within the urban fabric. However, despite their importance, they are designed with a sole focus on efficiency and movement, and often neglect the potential of these spaces to serve as more dynamic, community-centered environments. In this Thesis Placemaking will be defined as an approach to urban design that emphasizes the importance of public spaces in fostering community engagement, well-being, and a sense of belonging. It involves the intentional planning, design, and management of public spaces in a way that encourages people to use and enjoy them. Rather than focusing solely on the technical aspects of design, such as the size of the space or the materials used, placemaking prioritizes how people experience and interact with the space. In recent years, placemaking has become a critical strategy for revitalizing urban areas and making cities more livable, particularly as cities grapple with issues such as population growth, congestion, and the increasing need for public spaces that support mental and physical well-being. The goal is to create environments that are not only functional but also inviting and engaging. This Thesis is located in Atlanta, GA at The Battery Atlanta. This is because The Battery is a very popular entertainment spot for Atlanta, Kennesaw, and Marietta residents. However, there is currently no community programming in the area (local stores, grocery stores, daycares). This thesis proposes to examine how inclusive design, placemaking, and community involvement can be leveraged to create an urban MARTA station that is a vibrant, multifunctional space that provides more than just connectivity but adds community through adding missing programming. Some of the guiding questions this thesis tries to answer are: Why has the problem of Public Transit to and from The Battery not been solved, and why have previous propositions not been acted upon? How will the transit station provide additional programming that can enhance the sense of community at The Battery? Why do transit structures only have mono-functionality, where they are only planned for transit and not designed for a greater image on the city and for better use of space? How can the addition of a transit station encourage different demographics to interact with each other and create inclusivity? How can the public justify the cost of a new Transit structure near the battery (tax money vs benefits)? By incorporating principles of placemaking and trying to answer these questions, a new MARTA station can be built that acts as an example for others on how transit stations can enhance and foster community interaction

#FOMO: How the Fear of Missing Out Drives Consumer Purchase Decisions

The fear of missing out (FOMO), defined as “a pervasive apprehension that others may be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent” (Przybylski et al., 2013), has been seen as a motivator for individuals to take action. This paper focuses on consumers’ experiential purchase decisions motivated by FOMO. More specifically, we explore the situational factors that can lead to higher levels of FOMO including the social group (i.e., close vs. distant) and type of experiences (i.e., ordinary vs. extraordinary). We also distinguish FOMO from anticipated regret. Given that there is little empirical consumer research on FOMO, it is important to clearly identify FOMO’s antecedents in order to further understand this phenomenon. The results of two empirical studies showed that purchase intent is higher when participants imagined that their close, rather than their distant, social group will attend an event. Findings further demonstrate that FOMO mediates the relationship between social group and purchase intent. In the first study, 115 undergraduate students anticipated feeling higher levels of FOMO when a close social group, as opposed to a distant social group, was attending a local music festival, which in turn lead to higher purchase intentions t(113) = -2.67, p \u3c .01 (Mclose = 5.05, SD = 1.69; Mdistant = 4.24, SD = 1.69). A mediation analysis demonstrated the mediating role of FOMO on the effect of social group on purchase intention revealing a 95% BC Bootstrap confidence interval that is entirely above zero ß = .25, SE = .11, 95% CI [.08, .53]. In the second study, we test how the type of experience (ordinary, extraordinary) moderates the relationship of social groups (close, distant) on FOMO. The music festival scenario was described to appear either extraordinary (i.e., favorite band, VIP passes with backstage access, etc.) or ordinary (i.e., unknown local bands only, general admission, etc.). Participants (n = 129) reported experiencing more FOMO when their close friends were attending an ordinary event rather than an extraordinary event. This was supported through a moderated mediation analysis that is statistically different from zero (ß = -.42, SE = .20, 95% CI [-.92, -.12]). This model indicates that the type of experience has no effect on purchase intentions when a distant social Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings March 2018 2 Copyright of the Author(s) and published under a Creative Commons License Agreement http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ group is involved but does when a close social group will attend an event. Consumers reported feeling higher levels of FOMO for ordinary events than extraordinary events with their close social groups. We believe that as the experience becomes more extraordinary, consumers value the event more as a once in a lifetime opportunity and place more importance on the experience itself rather than with whom they are sharing the experience. As the experience became more extraordinary, consumers reporting feeling higher levels of anticipated regret than FOMO. The social element, which is a key component of FOMO, do not play as central of role for anticipated regret. These findings provide insight into the circumstances that can result in greater feelings of FOMO and consequently greater purchase intent

Inconsistencies in the pozzolanic strength activity index (SAI) for silica fume according to EN and ASTM

New supplementary cementitious materials claimed to possess pozzolan properties emerge frequently. This development is driven both by economic and environmental pressures. Properties of new materials are compared with those of materials already well known, such as silica fume. Several test methods are standardized for making such comparisons, regulated by both European (EN) and American (ASTM) standards. Standardization indicates that procedures are secured to make comparisons valid and informative. In this article the sensitivity of accepted variations within each of the standard procedures are investigated to determine if the results are influenced by such variations. Various methods for testing pozzolanic properties are briefly discussed. Experimental work was carried out in compliance with the standard methods for testing silica fume, according to both EN and ASTM. Seventy two mixes are made and tested in the experimental series, combining two standard procedures, two types of sand, three cements and four flow agents (SP). The results show that determined values are highly influenced by variations accepted to be made within the standard procedures. Possible reasons for these variations are analyzed. Conclusions are made that even when complying with the standards, the results are heavily manipulable (intended or unintended). Also a shortcoming in EN regarding new materials, is detected. Suggestions are made on additional information required to be given together with the results when reporting pozzolanic properties according to standards in order to make results informative and reproducible. A limitation in EN towards testing nano-sized silica materials is detected. An adjustment is suggested, to make EN applicable correspondingly to ASTM, also for these materials

Contrasting Public Perceptions of Government versus Certified Public Accounting Firm Oversight of Relief Packages

ABSTRACT This study examines public perceptions of potential overseers charged with ensuring that relief packages are distributed to the intended audience. In an experiment, we assess perceptions of trustworthiness and fraud reduction ability between government and public accounting firm employees in the context of relief package oversight. While actual ability is important, public perceptions of overseer ability is also essential for relief packages to be fully effective. We find that people, regardless of their political party affiliation, rate public accounting firm employees as more trustworthy and better able to reduce fraud than government employees. For government oversight, participant political party affiliation influences perceptions of employee ability and is mediated by general trust in government. These findings suggest public accounting firms are a viable alternative to increase public perceptions that relief packages are distributed effectively. Initial evidence suggests educating the public on the role of career government employees may raise public opinion. Data Availability: Data are available from the authors upon request. JEL Classifications: H12, H84, M41, M48.</jats:p